The Comming of Age
by InuYashaTetsusaiga140
Summary: It's been years since the death of Naraku and the gang has finally settled down. InuYasha and Kagome have a daughter, but she's not the only one with some growing up to do.
1. A new life to take care for, sort of

Author's note: I don't own InuYasha, sadly, but I stole him anyway for the notes. –huggles him- 'Get offa me!' eye twitches I'm not on my computer much, and I don't know how often I'll be able to update, so please don't kill me if it takes a while. . 

"WEEEEEE!" Tumbling, falling, screaming in pleasure. These were all ways you could tell the hanyou's attitude at the moment. Well, she wasn't exactly hanyou, but only one-fourth demon blood. The toddler fell from the treetops, eyes closed and mouth agape with the screams fluttering out. About the age of thee, the toddler was wearing ebony, silver trimmed yutuka. Her silver tresses fluttered in the breeze of the downfall, black dog-like ears pressed level against her head and long fluffy tail flying behind her.

"Shimatta!" Tawny-golden eyes glanced at the falling toddler, bare feet rushing across the ground as he made his way towards the precise place of impact. His silver tresses matched that of the young girl's, falling down his back and flowing in the wind as he leapt to catch her. He wore a red kimono and hakama, a blue beaded necklace with demon fangs in a pattern every five beads hanging loosely around his neck. His clawed hands reached for her, in turn for catching her safely, the hanyou got a face-full of dirt, white dog-like ears twitching irritably.

"InuYasha! Don't you dare let her get hurt!" The former miko grabbed her daughter from his hands, holding the girl at her waist glaring down at her father, Her dark chocolate orbs flashed in contrast to the baby's playful golden ones, dark brown hair nothing like her daughter's. She wore an emerald kimono, black flowered patterns falling over the shoulders and legs. "I swear, one of these days, InuYasha, you're going to let her get hurt. I'll never forgive you for it." She shook her head and started walking away, sandaled feet padding almost silently across the ground.

The hanyou looked and sat up, jumping to his feet to fallow his mate, coming up behind her and taking their child into his own arms. InuYasha then held her in his arms against his face so that Kagome had to look at both of them. "Do you really think I'd let her get hurt?" He raised a brow, then stretching the toddler above his head bouncing joyfully in his arms, giggling more.

She laughed along with her father, hands beating the air as she was lifted. "Daddy play!" Hanaharu's sweet little voice echoed through the forest, her feet flailing through the air as the ebony tail fell limp between InuYasha's arms.

Kagome smiled, "Guess not. But you can't blame me for worrying." The couple continued through the forest back to the village, coming into the open with little Hanaharu's palms clutched by both parents, walking along with them.

The deep blue eyes of a familiar face was there to greet them, dark hair kept nicely in a small "tail" on the back of his head. The monk sat on the porch of his home on the outskirts of the forest. Ever since settling down he had learned how to make things for himself, with the help of the villagers, of course. The home he was sitting at was only just built, only about four years old. The tarp hanging over the door shook as a young boy walked out. He too had deep blue eyes, and would look exactly like his father if not for his hair being a brownish color. The approach of InuYasha and Kagome made him look up from the sandals he was making, far too small for his own feet. "InuYasha, Kagome-sama," he smiled," how are you today? And Hanaharu?"

Kagome let go of her daughter's hand as the hanyou pulled her up by one arm onto his shoulder. "We're fine, Miroku. How is Sango doing? Her smile turned into a look of seriousness. "And I told you, I'm no longer a miko. Don't call me 'Kagome-sama.'"

"Funny monk!" The girl squealed as she reached out towards Miroku, almost falling of her father's shoulder.

"Gah!" He grabbed his daughter tighter, now holding her against his chest, her tail carefully kept up by him holding it.

The little boy walked up to InuYasha, looking up at the hanyou and tugging on his hakama. "I'll take her in with Mommy if you like." The most innocent smile played across his face.

"Kuraa!" She then reached out towards the boy, her father placing her on the ground and she stood there beaming like only a child could, arms behind her back and tail held in them, though still somewhat dragging on the ground.

"She's going to call him Kuraa until she can speak correctly." Kagome shook her head slightly, watching the young boy and her daughter disappear into the hut.

The houshi let out a short laugh. "Even then it still may be her nickname for him." He paused a moment, looking to Kagome. "I believe that, you, Kagome-sama, have a nickname for InuYasha?"

This got a glare from the hanyou, and another large lump on his head. "Shizuka ni!" He was ready to hit the monk again, at least until Sango walking out of her hut, Hanaharu and the boy rushing out before her giggling.

"InuYasha, what are you beating up on my husband for?" The youkai tajyai stood in the doorway, a loose-fitting pinkish kimono clinging to her swollen figure. This was her second pregnancy, already in her third trimester. She leant up against the doorway, waiting for an answer from her long-time friend.

The hanyou snorted, crossing his arms as he stood just off the porch, almost as if her were pouting. "General purposes."

"Daddy!" Hanaharu came out of the hut running to her father. She had a huge smile on her face as she ran up and hugged his leg. She loved her father, it was obvious, diffidently a daddy's girl.

He picked his daughter up, hugging her before tugging lightly on her dog-like ears. Before Hanaharu was born he'd never done anything like that to anyone, Kagome was still always doing it to him.

"InuYasha!" Kagome protested against how much affection he had been giving their daughter. "You spoil her!" She placed her hands on her hips, knowing what this would lead to.

The hanyou looked to his mate, holding his young daughter in his left arm. "Come on, Kagome. How can you say no to this face?" He smiled, tugging on her ear again. It caused her to giggle and grab at his, hard. "Ow, ow, OW!"

A smirk played across Kagome's face., stifled laughter coming from Miroku and Sango. "What did I tell you?" She took the young girl from his arms. "Monkey see, monkey do."

InuYasha growled. He loved his daughter, and he protected her even from her own mother. "You're calling my daughter a monkey?" Best of moods or not, InuYasha was going to be upset about this for a while. He never let anyone talk about HIS daughter like that. He snatched the girl from her mother, holding her tail up.

The young girl hugged both her father's hand and her own tail as if they were like dolls. "Fluff!" It was a strange trait for someone of such little demon blood to have the tail that she did. It was one that she inherited from her taiyoukai grandfather, the Lord of the Western Lands, Inu-no-Tachio. She had never met any of her grandparents seeing that three of them were dead, and the other one lived in another time, but she still had her grandmother and great grandfather she had never met.

Kagome had kept the entire pregnancy from her family under InuYasha's wishes, even to her own mother. She had left Hanaharu in Sango and Miroku's care when they went back to visit. Of course Kagome wished for her mother to know, she wanted her to know terribly. She was only 18 when all of this happened, now she was almost 21.

" Monkey Junior. She takes after her father." Kagome loved her husband, but testing his patience was like a hobby of hers.

"Kagome-sama," the monk interrupted before the hanyou could protest and start an argument. "Would you and InuYasha like to come inside?"

The miko nodded, taking Hanaharu from her father's hands yet again and placing her on the ground. "But stop calling me 'Kagome-sama.'"

"Come on, Hanaharu," Miroku's son grabbed the small girl's hand gently, helping her into the hut past his mother like an elder brother would. He was nothing like his once lecherous father had been once. For a four-year-old boy, he was a gentleman. The four adults fallowed.

The hut had four mats on the ground around a low-lying table, and a fire pit a few feet away from that. There were two other rooms, one for Miroku and Sango and one for their son.

As Miroku and Kagome helped Sango get down onto the mat closest to the back room, InuYasha sat at the one nearest the door. That had become his seat. Once everyone was seated they began talking.

"Sango-chan, your baby is due in about a month, ne?" She smiled, knowing that Sango had yet to tell her much about it, but all she had to do was ask the old Kaede-dono.

"About" She took a sip of the tea that had been placed there. She never did like talking about it. "Kagome-chan? Could you bring back more of those items that you brought before Kuma was born?"

"Of course, InuYasha and I were planning on taking Hanaharu to visit her grandmother, anyway." The former miko took her daughter into her arms, Hanaharu hugging her arm, smiling.

"I never said we were taking her anywhere." The hanyou looked disgusted by the idea. "Your mother doesn't even know Hanaharu exists." InuYasha crossed his arms, closing his eyes, obviously it wasn't her mother he had the problem with, it was her grandfather.

"Just because you and Jii-chan-" She started, but was cut off by him quickly.

The hanyou jumped up from his seat there, walking over to Kagome, grabbing his daughter from his mate, snorting as he stormed out of the hut.

Kuma his behind his father, he hadn't seen InuYasha this angry before, but only because whenever he and Kagome fought it was in their own hut.

Kagome let out a sigh, seeming upset with her husband's sudden outburst. "He does this every time."

End Chapter


	2. Jaianto Youkai no Atakku

Author's note: Wow, I actually got reviews? O.0; …And yes, I think InuYasha would be very protective over a daughter. Well, yeah. I like the name Hanaharu, too. It literally means "flower spring," so I think of it as "spring flower," as in "flower born in the spring." Okay… enough rambling about the baby on my part. Chapter two! …And yes, I DO use the Japanese attack names.

"What do you mean, Kagome-chan?" Sango hasn't seen him like this for over a year now, make that three, ever since Hanaharu was born. InuYasha had matured ever since he had his daughter, but he still had his moments. The tayjai doubted he would ever be fully mature.

The former miko let out a sigh, looking up to Sango with a somewhat tired look. "Just never mind him. Every time we argue even just a little bit he takes Hanaharu and disappears for a few hours." She knew that he shouldn't be doing that, but who was she to say anything? In these times, she had learned that whatever the male spouse wanted he usually got. 'I do worry about him, though…'

The houshi crossed his arms, watching his son come out from behind him. "Well, at least he does come back. There are some cases where a man will take his child into the forest and disappear all together." He knew that InuYasha would never do that, though. He would always come back to his mate; such were the loyalty traits of a dog.

Kagome let out another sigh. "I guess you're right. I should be thankful he comes back." She took a sip from the cup of tea in front of her, just trying to calm herself down. Until now Sango and Miroku hadn't had to even so much as know about these little fights they had. InuYasha was still InuYasha, and she was still Kagome. Them without their little quarrels was just unheard of.

The hanyou stormed away from the hut they group had been occupying, making his way back towards the forest with little Hanaharu secure in his arms. She didn't know why her father took her into the forest like this, but whenever he did, she always had fun. She didn't know that he did this to blow off steam, she only thought it special playtime alone with her father.

The small girl clung to her father's chest, tiny hands gripping the red fire-rat kimono as she closed her eyes. She wasn't sleeping, more like resting. Just like Kagome's scent soothed the hanyou, her father's scent soothed the young toddler. She had always been around him, spoiled by him daily, and it was hard even to get InuYasha to give his daughter to Kagome just so she could feed her.

The hanyou jumped into a large dead tree. He had always sat in this tree to think, to be alone, but now that he had Hanaharu, she was there to keep him company. He sat up against the trunk, letting her large back tail hang down at his side as she just rest there. There were just some things that he couldn't tell anyone, not even Kagome, and it was just nice to have someone to sit there quietly with him, even if it was his three year old daughter that didn't understand most of what went on around her.

He sat there running his hands through the girl's shoulder length silver hair, closing his eyes as she opened hers. "Daddy sad?" She didn't understand it at all, but she had as good senses as any demon did, even if she couldn't fully read emotion like her father could.

He opened his eyes again, smiling down at her. She was just so innocent, like all little girls at her age were. They just couldn't help but be naive like that, oblivious. "No, just thinking." He just held the small girl there in his arms, he couldn't help but want to keep her all for himself at this age.

She smiled brightly, hugging InuYasha tighter. "What is Daddy thinking about?" She blinked, looking up at him confused. She always asked him questions when he took her alone out into the middle of the forest.

"It's nothing." He put his hand on her head, sitting straight in the tree as he sniffed into the air. Some pathetic demon was nearby, but he wouldn't dare get caught up into a battle around his daughter. When she was born, he had promised to raise her as human as possible, keeping her away from demons and anything in this time that could harm her at all. He didn't even want her to witness a fight between the humans.

"Daddy?"

He stood up in the tree, holding her still against his chest as he jumped from it. So far he had kept that promise to Kagome, and he wasn't about to break it now. "I'm going to take you back to your mother, okay?"

She tightly closed her eyes, clinging to him tighter. "B-bu-but I want to stay with Daddy!"

"Hanaharu, you can't." He wanted to protect his daughter at all costs, and if that meant giving her back to Kagome for a few moments, fine. His bare feet padded across the ground as he rushed for the village, as long as she wasn't subject to such violence.

The girl listened to her father, just holding on as he took her back to the village. 'I want to stay with Daddy…'

A moment later he appeared back near the village, Sango and Miroku just saying good bye to Kagome on their front porch.

"He's back already?" Sango had her hand on her son's shoulder, at the sight of InuYasha clinging to his mother's leg. She saw Hanaharu clinging to her father as if she were frightened or upset.

"Kagome!" He came back up to his mate, removing Hanaharu from his kimono top. "Take care of her, I've got to take care of this demon." He looked to the monk, who had gone in and grabbed his staff while the hanyou was talking. Even if he was human, and some what out of practice, he was still a monk, and InuYasha didn't care if he came or not. "Fine, come on, Miroku."

"Hai." His face was serious, if there was a demon close to the village; it was always Miroku and InuYasha to usually get rid of it. "Do you know what kind of demon it is?"

"Iie," the hanyou and monk started for the forest, leaving both women and children behind. "I'm not stayin' around long enough for my daughter to get hurt."

The monk agreed. This battle was one of many they had been in to protect the village from demons since Naraku's death. Seeing that Miroku no longer had the Kazanna, this would be strange had it been one of the first few battles without it. He had grown used to not having the black hole in his hand.

A loud roar emitted through the forest, a large ebony furred youkai springing from the forest. Its long legs came to huge claws on is feet, its long neck arching as it glared down at the hanyou and monk, slender body just coming over the tree-tops. Its long tail beat the ground, a tree or two falling from the force.

InuYasha smirked, unsheathing his blade from its scabbard. The Tetsusaiga transformed into the large fan it did when only he wielded it; at the end of the hilt was what seemed a patch of fur, the long silver blade reaching over seven feet long. This was really the only time that he was able to unsheathe the blade. He couldn't show it off in front of his daughter, of course, if he could, he would put it away whenever she was around, but losing himself was not anything good. "I'll take it down in one blow!"

"It's been a while since you've fought with Tetsusaiga, InuYasha, be careful with it." The monk braced himself for battle as he watched the hanyou spring into the air.

"Oh, shut up!" He swung the blade mid-air, "Kaze no Kizu!" With that, golden-yellow stripes of air seemed to fly towards the youkai, on impact seeming to throw it back, but that was it. InuYasha landed back on the ground, a look of disbelief on his face. "Nani? How did it block Kaze no Kizu?"

The monk pulled out an ofuda. He may have been living peacefully now with a wife and child, but just because of that didn't mean he had lost his sacred powers. "InuYasha, I believe this demon had some sort of barrier or special type of fur. Try using Akai Tetsusaiga on it." With a grunt of effort, the monk threw the ofuda at the youkai, hitting it square on the face.

With a grumble of pain, the youkai took a step back, covering its face with its large clawed paw from the annoyance of the spell scroll, a light bluish electricity seeming to pulsate around it.

The hanyou didn't need to let him know to agree, all he had to do was stand there, the blade of the Tetsusaiga glowing a bright reddish color. He then rushed at the demon, leaping into the air and swinging the blade for another Kaze no Kizu. "Tetsusaiga!" Another wave of the golden stripes flashed at the demon; only this time with the help of the barrier-breaking powers of InuYasha's blade, and utterly destroying the large demon. He landed back on the ground, sheathing his blade as it transformed back into the "rusted stick."

The monk held his golden staff in hand as he took a few steps towards his friend. "Why would a demon like that come close to the village? There's nothing there for it; except maybe if it has a taste for humans."

InuYasha just kept staring off into space. "It's never that simple, anymore. Some one or something told it to attack the village. Weak demons like that don't come this close to villages for food if they know there's a demon living in the area, let alone a monk."

Author's note: End Chapter. Wow… I get reviews and I'm more motivated to do the next chapter. I didn't expect to get this done for at least another day because my dad doesn't let me on too often. Yay!


	3. Disruptive Nightmare

Author's Note: I torture InuYasha in this chapter a bit. –huggles him- Sorry Inu! Arigatou, reviewers! I loff you all! –huggles reviewers- And a bit about Kikyou's in this chapter, gomen nasai Kikyou fans! . Need Japanese translations? size=1 width=100% noshade>"Do you mean 'It was after something?'" The former miko asked her husband as they all sat there in the hut, listening to InuYasha's suggestion. She held small Hanaharu, the young girl fallen asleep in her mother's arms during the time that her father had gone.

InuYasha sat there with his arms crossed, blinking as he looked at the floor. "Seriously, what reason would a demon have for coming here?" The hanyou looked up at Miroku, knowing that he had also asked him the question. "If me an' Miroku are protecting the village and have been for years, some petty demon isn't gonna just show up and try to attack because it wants to." The village had been peaceful for as long as Hanaharu was alive, not a single attack by demons had been engaged, and this made InuYasha weary to what was going on.

Sango just sat there for a moment, thinking about it. "Yes, it is strange that something like this would happen." She took another sip of the tea, not really wanting to get into the subject of demons at least until her baby was born.

"And besides," the houshi started, "they could be after the Shikon no Tama seeing that it's been gone ever since…" Miroku was cut off, almost slapped in the face by his wife and glared at by Kagome, as he was about to say it.

InuYasha just sat there with his arms crossed, glancing at the ground almost sadly. "It's fine, I'm not upset about it any more. That was over four years ago." The hanyou stood up, walking out of his friends' hut as he made his way towards the other side of the village.

Kagome scoffed, just holding her sleeping daughter and closed her eyes. "'It's fine,' my butt!"

The monk let out a sigh. "Gomen, Kagome-sama. It's my fault for bringing it up." He lowered his head, knowing that InuYasha would be in a depressed mood for as long as two days.

"Iie, Miroku-sama. InuYasha just can't help it. He was in love with Kikyou, I could never take her place, nor do I want to." Her eyes slit closed a bit as she looked down at Hanaharu.

Even though InuYasha and Kagome had a daughter, he still couldn't forget his past with Kikyou. After the death of Naraku and the Shikon no Tama being collected, InuYasha did use the jewel, but for something that no one expected. He asked it to let his lost love rest in peace, for Kikyou's rage to be relieved of her and to let him and Kagome be together for the rest of their lives.

InuYasha remembered it unmistakably, the day that Kikyou departed from the living world yet again. It had been the saddest moment of his life, bringing him close to tears.

* * *

"Kagome?"

"InuYasha? I suppose you're going to use it to become full demon?" The miko turned away, tears falling down her cheeks as she stood there, not wanting him to see. "Or maybe you want to…"

"Iie." He wrapped his arms around the miko, resting his head against her shoulder as he kissed her neck, almost causing her to jump. "Ai shiteru. I love you, and I want to be with you." He held the jewel in front of her, taking her hand and wrapping it around his hand holding the jewel. "I want for you, me, Sango and Miroku to live in peace, and I want Shippou to be happy, and Kikyou… I want her to rest in peace." He almost choked, tears welling in his eyes as he said this, moving away from Kagome.

The miko stood there in disbelief of what she had heard. He… didn't wish to become taiyoukai? That was what he intended to do with the jewel since when? How long had he been putting that charade for how long? How long had he loved her? When did he decide her over Kikyou?

A pink light poured from the completed jewel, showering the surrounding forest near the Go-Shinboku. It could be seen from miles around, even from the mountain known as Fuji, from the eyes of the great Sesshoumaru-sama, and the shores south of where Tokyo will, in the near future, stand. It almost blinded the young couple, causing InuYasha and Kagome to close their eyes as they stood there in the light under the sacred tree.

The two opened their palms, glancing at the still full jewel. "Shikon… no… Tama?" The hanyou and miko both watched as the jewel broke down into powder, a light wind blowing it away from their hands, both standing there in disbelief. InuYasha took a few steps back, knowing what this meant. Kikyou, wherever she was, had disintegrated as well.

* * *

The hanyou let out a sigh as he sulked into the small three-room hut. It was built much the same way as Miroku and Sango's had been yet it was younger than the other one, only about as long as their marriage. It also had a table and a fire pit, and a few modern things that Kagome had brought back from her time. There was a kettle and a small cabinet where InuYasha and Kagome kept food, along with a stack of blankets on the other side of the room and a few children's toys on the floor against the wall.

He sat down on one of the four mats surrounding the table, crossing his arms as he sat there. 'I thought I'd be over this by now… guess not, though I know it hurts Kagome as much as it does me.' He sat alone for a few moments before standing up and walking into the furthest back room of the hut, the dark air was only penetrated by a window that faced the south with a dark curtain of the color scarlet covering it. There was a mat in the middle of the room, obviously the couple's bed and even more blankets stacked up in here. Kagome had obviously thought ahead to the cold winters in the feudal era. There was also a chest filled with Kagome's clothes. Just because InuYasha only had one set of clothing didn't mean that Kagome had to.

He took the scabbard of his blade from his obi and set it down on the ground next to the mat, sitting there on the left side and closed his eyes. He still preferred to sleep sitting up rather than lying down, but there were still those nights…

"InuYasha?" Kagome stood in the doorway, a hand on the frame as she questioned him. Was it okay to talk to him so soon? Well, he was in THEIR room, not somewhere private, such as a tree or the roof.

He looked up to Kagome, not sure if he should say something or stay quiet. "What is it, haiguusha?"

The young woman came in, sitting down behind him and wrapping her arms around InuYasha trying to console him. "I know how you felt about her, but I can help you forget… at least for now."

She started rubbing one of his ears, a subdued smile coming onto the dog's face. He knew what it meant, he knew what she wanted. InuYasha turned back towards his mate, placing a soft kiss on her lips as he turned fully towards her, pushing Kagome back on the bed when…

"Daddy!"

When the call came from the other room, InuYasha sat up, both of his hands holding Kagome's arms so that she was firm against the bed. He sat up and away from his bride, knowing that he couldn't leave young Hanaharu alone. It seemed that he had more parental instinct than Kagome.

"She'll be fine, InuYasha." The miko sat up the best she could, aiming for his lips when all she got was a cheek.

The hanyou stood up, leaving the room and his mate alone in the dark. He went to the next room, lifting the tarp as to look in at his daughter sitting up on her little mat with her fists in front of her eyes and tears.

"Daijoubu desu ka? Aka-chan?" He asked, sitting down next to the mat and pulling her into his open arms against his chest.

"Warui yume ga aru." The small girl sniffled, clinging to his fire-rat kimono. "It was scary, Daddy." She opened her golden eyes, looking up to InuYasha with teary eyes.

"I'll be okay." He assured her, blinking slowly and putting a hand on the back of her hair. "Can you tell me what happened in your dream?"

The small girl moved away slightly from her father, she had had bad dreams before, but this one seemed to scare her even more. "There was a giant white demon with lotsa fur. It looked like a big doggy and had stripes on its face." She knew that she was partially dog demon, and that it was her father who had demon blood, even if she didn't fully understand.

The hanyou slowly blinked, looking down at her. She had never seen a taiyoukai dog, how did she know what Sesshoumaru looked like in his youkai form? And her great grandfather? He had never even told her she had an uncle, keeping it secret from her, Miroku and Sango keeping quiet about it, too. He had his reasons, she knew about an uncle she would want to meet him, and meeting Sesshoumaru… he could only imagine what a disaster it would be.

"Daijoubu." He patted the back of his daughter's head and tried to smile the best her could. Her seeing dog demons in her dreams were not good omens. "Go to sleep and I'll take you to see Kuma in the morning." He kissed the small girl on the forehead, giving her a hug and tucking her into bed. "Kanmu."

InuYasha left the room, making his way back to where he had left Kagome. He sat down into bed, seeing that the Kagome was already under the covers. He leant over, about to kiss her when he had seen she had already fallen asleep. She had figured he would spend half the night speaking with his daughter; when, in fact, he had cut it short to spend time with Kagome. Letting out a sigh, the hanyou gave his mate a kiss on the cheek and rolled back over onto his side, a cloud of darkness sweeping over him as he fell to sleep.

* * *

Author's note: Yeah… Kikyou's not in this fic much, just a distant memory. And yes, I do have plans for Sesshoumaru-sama later on. Poor InuYasha. X3 –huggles him- 


	4. A Visit to the Other Side

Author's Note: Yes, yes, poor Kagome, too. ; Let's just say I torture them both. And the Japanese translation site isn't showing? –sigh- Well, if you need it, or just the translations, just e-mail me and I'll give it to you. Don't love this chapter for the visit to Kagome's world, love it for the hilarious way her family reacts to everything.

"Do we hafta?" The hanyou pouted, holding his three-year-old daughter in his hands, standing near the Bone-Eater's Well, with his mate. "If you don't remember the last time we went to visit…"

"How could I forget!" Kagome yelled at him, placing her hands on her hips as she stood there. "You and Jii-chan wouldn't stop arguing about the most trivial things. It was terrible. I swear InuYasha, if you argue with him again, you are going home and Hanaharu is staying with me."

"Fine…" The hanyou breathed, grabbing his mate around the waist with his free hand. "But you owe me."

"Owe you what?" She looked at his face a moment, letting out a sigh. "Fine, I'll go shopping for more ramen, but I swear, if you eat it all in a day I'm not going back to shop for another month."

He kissed his mate on the cheek, pouncing into the well back to her era. This would be the first time ever that Kagome's family would ever hear of Hanaharu's existence. Kagome could only imagine her mother's reaction.

* * *

"Nyujii!" The elder woman grabbed Hanaharu from her father's hands, almost squeezing the girl. "Kagome! Why did you keep her a secret from me?" This made her mother so happy that she had a grandchild, and better yet, a grandchild with the dog-like ears she inherited from her father. "And she's so adorable!"

Hanaharu giggled as her mother just stood there next to InuYasha, a nervous laugh as she took in what was happening. "Gomen… Okaa-san..." She thought her mother would be mad at her for hiding such a huge secret from her, guess not.

InuYasha just stood there. There wasn't really much he could do since the old man was staring at him, making him feel nervous. He could just imagine what he would say if Kagome weren't there. 'You did WHAT to my granddaughter! And my first great-grandchild had to be related to YOU! Just my luck! You've shamed this family and taken my only granddaughter away from me!' …InuYasha didn't want to stay for long, but he knew he needed to lest he want his daughter to be mauled by Kagome and her family.

"Kagome, you and your husband must stay the night, I insist. I want to get to know my grand daughter more." She handed the baby over to Kagome's younger brother Souta, who was now about thirteen.

"That's awesome. I'm an uncle." He beamed, the young girl clinging to him around his neck. "InuYasha, why did you and my sister keep her a secret from us?"

"That's complicated, Souta." Kagome sort of interrupted, InuYasha only standing there next to her. She took her baby back from the young teenager. "You see, InuYasha…"

"That's enough, Kagome. We don't need to give out our life's story." He just didn't want her grandfather to know that he was afraid of showing him the baby. He really didn't like her grandfather, even though he had to put up with the old man. "I'll tell you later," he cupped a hand towards the boy, whispering to him. He may not get along well with Kagome's grandfather, but that hanyou and her brother got along just fine.

The boy nodded, "Come on, Jii-chan, let's get you inside." He led Kagome's grandfather indoors, leaving InuYasha and Kagome outside near the Go-Shinboku.

She smiled, kissing the hanyou on the cheek. "See, this isn't so bad"

InuYasha took his daughter into his arms, letting out a sigh. "Not yet."

* * *

"Kagome, how old is Hanaharu?" The older woman placed cups of tea in front of their guests.

"Three years." InuYasha took a sip of the tea, eyes closed and Hanaharu playing with a sippy cup that she had brought with them, banging it against the table and trying to make it spill.

"When is her birthday?" The woman sat next to her father and son, wanting to learn as much as she could about her granddaughter. "I want to know so that I can get her things and you can all come over and visit."

"I'Gomen ne, Okaa-san, it was about three months ago." She opened her mouth to say more but InuYasha interrupted.

"We don't have time to visit the day of her birthday, anyway. Our friends and their four year old come over to visit, and then there are the people of the village."

Kagome looked over at her husband; just more excuses to not go to her home. "But I'm sure that we could visit the day before or after."

A buzzer went off in the kitchen. "Oh, that's the fish." Mrs. Higurashi stood up from her chair, walking into the kitchen.

Hanaharu giggled, taking a sip from her cup and spit it on the table and looked up playfully at her father. She didn't know it was wrong; InuYasha never scolded her for such things, but only cleaned up after her and got on with whatever he was going.

Kagome let out a sigh as she watched her husband set the girl on his lap, pulling a small white cloth from inside the flap of his kimono and wiping up the juice. "You can't spill something, so you're gonna spit it." He tucked the cloth back into his kimono, a light smile on his face, as he knew Hanaharu was going to grow up to be smart, or, at least manipulating. He then wiped off her face with his kimono sleeve, pulling his daughter closer smiling.

The old shrine-keeper just sat across the table glaring at InuYasha and his daughter the entire time, the hanyou not even noticing due to the small girl banging her cup against the table again. 'That dog…'

"Jii-chan. Stop staring, onegai." Kagome whispered under her breath, knowing that her grandfather didn't approve that she and InuYasha were married let alone have a child together.

"Kagome," her mother called from the kitchen, "could you help me bring out dinner?"

The former miko stood up. "I'll be back in a minute." She looked to her grandfather, as if knowing that he was going to cause problems, but finally left to help her mother.

The old man just sat there glaring across the table as InuYasha coddled the girl, finally taking her cup away from her and placing it on the table after a moment. He looked up to Mr. Higurashi. Watching that glare on his face made his own turn into a frown. "Nani? You got a problem?"

The old man shook his head. "Not at all, dog. Only that you keep your dirty paws off of Kagome."

The hanyou growled, standing up so fast that the chair he was sitting in fell over, making a loud banging noise. "Shizuka ni, old man!"

Hanaharu just hung there in his arm, looking up to her father confused. "Daddy mad.."

"InuYasha!" The miko yelled as she walked in with two platters of food on either arm. "You just couldn't go a day without trying to pick a fight with someone, could you?" She set the food on the table, glaring at her husband.

The hanyou only glared back, picking up his chair and sitting down again. "Hey, he started it. Don't blame me." This got a giggle out of Hanaharu.

"I don't give a damn who started it!"

The small girl's jaw dropped. These were the kind of words she knew she couldn't used, and they occasionally came out of her father's mouth when he was angry. Never her mother. "Mommy gets a time out!"

This stopped Kagome in her tracks... did she just…? She looked down to the small girl, hands over her tiny mouth and eyes widened. It was custom that whenever InuYasha said a "bad word" in front of Hanaharu that he had to sit in the corner for a few minutes. It was all a way to teach Hanaharu not to curse, and even to help InuYasha to learn not to be so rude. It seemed to have been working, also. "What?"

InuYasha smirked. The one time they had caught Kagome saying a "curse word" it had to be in front of her mother and grandfather. He pointed towards the corner of the room, still holding Hanaharu in one arm, and in Kagome's own words she had used on him many times: "Time out."

Kagome's family looked shocked that their once innocent girl had said such a thing, let alone have and keep a baby behind their backs. The former miko let out a sigh. "Fine." She walked over to the corner of the room sitting down in a chair. Unlike at home whenever InuYasha let one of these words slip, there were chairs, and she didn't have to sit on the floor.

* * *

Dinner went well, besides InuYasha and his daughter making mess of the table around his plate. It wasn't really his fault. Babies and toddlers were just messy. The hanyou used that same handkerchief he used for the juice incident to clean up around the plate. Trying to feed Hanaharu small pieces of fish with chopsticks was a chaotic job to do.

Mrs. Higurashi stood up, smiling as she walked over to InuYasha, as soon as the dishes are done and put away, would it be okay for me to give Hanaharu a bath?" She seemed so innocent about it, only wanting to spend time with a relative she never knew she had. Ever since her daughter and son-in-law brought home a granddaughter, the elder woman was just ecstatic.

The hanyou only looked up to her, holding up Hanaharu to the woman. "Go ahead and do it now. Kagome and I'll take care of the dishes." Hanaharu was a mess, bouncing in her father's arms and reaching out towards her grandmother.

Mrs. Higurashi was even more overjoyed, taking her granddaughter into her arms. "I don't want to feel like I'm throwing chores on you, you and Kagome are only visiting."

"Okaa-san, it's okay." Kagome smiled, already starting to pick up a few of the plates. "We've got it. You, Souta and Jii-chan visit with Hanaharu."

"Hai. Just don't use hot water. She's used to bathing in cold." InuYasha had obviously been the one to give his daughter the baths, seeing that he was so protective and knew more about it than Kagome did. But, then again, in the Sengoku Jidai it was a pain to heat water for baths.

The woman took the baby towards the bathroom, going up the stairs as she went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, placing Hanaharu on the ground.

The restroom was an interesting place. As soon as she was put down, Hanaharu already showed curiosity for the bathtub, standing on her toes to look inside. "Tub!"

"Hai, bathtub." Mrs. Higurashi smiled, lowering the chair on the toilet to sit down on it. She turned on the hot water faucet, but remembering how InuYasha said she was used to cold water, didn't turn in on too high.

"Bath!" She smiled, watching the water rush into the rub, making a strange noise as it hit the bottom of the tub.

"Yes, you're getting a bath."

As soon as the tub was filled about half way with water and suds, the woman undressed Hanaharu, placing her into the tub. This was new for the baby; she had never taken a bubble bath before. She looked at a large bubble, poking at it with a little claw, watching it pop right in her face, making her cry before she even got her shoulder-length hair wet. "Otou-san!"

Not even a moment later, InuYasha rushed in to see Mrs. Higurashi coddling his daughter in a towel. He wasn't about to let a cry for her father go unheard. Suds. He remembered them oh too well. Not only did they hurt his keen nose, but they also took forever to get out of his hair.

"She popped a bubble and started crying." Mrs. Higurashi explained, only trying to soothe the whining child.

InuYasha took his daughter from his mother-in-law, holding the almost naked baby close to his chest. "I don't think it's the suds that are the problem, Higurashi-san. I think it's just the fact that I'm always the one to bathe her."

The woman nodded, "Well then, I'll let you finish it." With that, the woman left the room, closing the door behind her to leave the man bathe his daughter.

* * *

A few moments later she came back through the door, carrying a stack of towels for the hanyou to dry off his daughter with. "InuYasha I brought you- Oh my god!" The woman dropped her towels, coming to find InuYasha actually IN the tub with his daughter, hakama and kimono hanging over the toilet seat. She had heard of parents giving their children baths, but bathing with them?

"What do you think you're doing!" The hanyou stood up, suds covering the lower fraction of his body for the most part, but he was still without clothes.

The woman's eyes widened, standing there in shock for a moment before she just walked away.

Kagome rushed up the stairs, standing in the doorway looking disgusted. "InuYasha! Sit before you scare someone!"

Without knowing what she had said, the bluish beads around InuYasha's neck pulled him down into the tub, the young girl had already climbed out and avoided being smashed under his father's weight and clinging to her mother's leg with suds covering her body and the water weighing down her tail. "Osuwari!"

* * *

Later on that evening, the hanyou held his daughter in his hands, Kagome at his side as they stood near the well house, facing Kagome's family. "Jamatane, Okaa-san, Jii-chan, Souta!" Kagome waved to her family, looking at InuYasha as they turned back towards her husband, smiling.

Then hanyou looked to his mate, a confused look on his face. After all of that confusion and embarassment, why was she all happy? "What are you all happy about?"

The miko leant up against him as the door was closed, a bit of red flushed across her face. "Well, my mother got to see one reason why I love you."

The hanyou almost choked, glaring down at her. "Kagome!"

"Not like that." She smiled. "You're so good with Hanaharu."

Well, at least she wasn't speaking about something else. "Oh." He still flushed red, grabbing Kagome around the waist, jumping up and down into the well.

Author's Note: Did I mention I luff Hanaharu? Next chapter I might skip to where she's ten years old, depending on whether or not you guys tell me you want me to do something else. I take ideas from reviewers if I like them! Read, review and suggest! Jamatane!

Sara-chan


	5. Juukan, Serious Illness

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! >. Grawr...

* * *

Coughing again. The tiny girl had now started almost hacking her lungs out coughing. Eyes pressed closed, she coughed again, a greenish matter coming out with it. She was desperately ill, and InuYasha was utterly helpless in trying to improve her condition. 

There was nothing he could do, sitting outside of Kaede's hut, only able to listen to his daughter's suffering. The scent of fever had filled his nose, he wanted to help, but knew he would only be in the way. He was perched impatiently on the roof, tapping his foot rapidly as he just wanted to hit something, as if it would bring Hanaharu out of her illness.

The young fox demon, Shippou, had been sitting on the roof not to far from InuYasha. If it weren't for Kagome begging him to keep the hanyou company while she saw to their daughter's health, he wouldn't be here. He was now older, about the age of twelve, and had grown a few feet in height so that InuYasha didn't pick on him as much. He still wore the same kind of garments, though. He knew how InuYasha cherished his daughter and how he felt right now. They were all worried, everyone in the village.

The hanyou couldn't help but be fidgety, wanting to move around every few moments from where he was. "Kuso!" InuYasha cursed, cracking his knuckles. He couldn't pound on the roof, or Shippou, how could he get rid of this ever-growing anger? "I hate this." His ears were flat, fangs gritted tight as it tempted him even more to hit something.

Shippou just sat there for a moment, arms crossed. He had begun living with Kaede ever since InuYasha and Kagome got married, and he knew that he could go in and help if need be. Working under the village miko helped him to see many illnesses and learn cures for them. Most of the time the child, if young and sick enough, would die. He hoped not to see this with Hanaharu. She had demonic blood in her, and maybe that was the only thing keeping her alive.

"InuYasha... gomen nasai, but you aren't the only one who's-" Shippou started, but was quickly cut off from a death glare given by the hanyou. He may not pick on as much anymore, but he still knew that if he were to "rub his fur the wrong way," InuYasha would come after him.

Kagome never used the rosary anymore, therefore, InuYasha got away with a lot these days. Then again, whenever he did do something worth an "Osuwari," it was usually when he was holding their young daughter.

InuYasha jumped from the roof, landing near the door of the hut. He was so busy focused on the sounds from within the hut that he didn't notice the houshi come up behind him.

"InuYasha, settle down. I'm sure Hanaharu will get over this soon enough." The monk stood there with a weak smile on his face. His son had never really had to see Kaede-dono after he was born, how could the monk know of it?

"Urusai, houshi." The hanyou looked back at Miroku. "Hanaharu may be part demon, but only a little. She's mostly human. Your kid would die in an hour with a fever like hers." He watched the houshi wince, looking back towards the hut. 'Besides, how can I not worry?'

* * *

"Poor babe," the elder priestess held a wooden ladle of cold water as she sat down on her knees at her side. Kaede was the one who delivered Hanaharu, and she had seen many deaths from young children who fell ill. If the young inu died from this illness, InuYasha and Kagome would be devastated. It took them years to have the little one in the first place. 

"Kaede-dono," Kagome had tears in her eyes as she stroked her small daughter's soaking brow. "I can't loose her, but I can't take her back." The young woman folded up in her own lap, hands thrown over her head. She prayed that her husband would be allowed in, but she knew he would only be in the way and make it worse.

"Aye, Kagome. I know. There ain't much I can do to bring the fever down." She moved the silver bangs from Hanaharu's eyes, removing the sweat with a dry cloth.

The young girl whined, only able to move a few inches from the spot she lay in because she was so hot. "Oto'sn." She wasn't even able to speak correctly, but it did feel good when the elder woman put a wet rag over her forehead.

Kagome knew she wanted her father but she couldn't let the hanyou in. It was just like with the births, but now someone's life was on the line. InuYasha would go crazy in trying to help them, but there was nothing that even the priestess could do.

* * *

"That's it! I can't take it anymore!" The hanyou pounded the ground with his fist, growling as he stood there about to barge into the doorway. "I'm sick and tired of being worthless shit!" He didn't like that he could hear everything that went on inside, that his daughter wanted him there and that he could do nothing about it. 

"InuYasha, don't be so hasty. Kagome won't be so happy, neither will-"

This got an exasperated sigh from InuYasha, letting off some steam with it. "These idiots don't get it. I know how to get rid of the fever, it works every time." He leant up against the wall near the door, knowing that no one would believe him. InuYasha may not seem to know much when taking care of him self, but his mother, Izayoi, had been with him until just shy of his eighth summer. He had gotten sick in those years, and whenever he thought about it, he could probably remember the scents and tastes of the herbal medicines he was given, and the ways that she would help him. Children seemed to get ill at the most convenient times.

"You know how to rid her of the fever?" The houshi inquired, bringing a hand up to his chin thinking. "Then why did you never tell Kagome-sama and Kaede-dono?"

"It doesn't matter anymore." The hanyou lifted the tarp, stepping inside the hut.

"InuYasha," Kagome yelled as she looked back at the hanyou. "You aren't supposed to be in here." She looked concerned, holding the hand of her young daughter.

"I won't be in here for long, but neither will Hanaharu." He knelt down next to Kagome, looking at her as if he really did know what he was doing, picking up the young girl as he held her close to his chest.

"InuYasha!"

"Urusai!" He snapped at her, taking her back towards the entrance of the hut. "I'll get rid of her fever and bring her back for you to take care of her." Before Kagome could run to catch up with him, he was already near the exit of the village making his way towards the forest.

She rushed out the door, leaning against the frame. "Miroku-sama. Did he say where he was taking Hanaharu?" She looked so worried as she looked to him, clutching her chest.

"Iie." The monk looked to his distressed friend, knowing that she, too, thought InuYasha was crazy. If there were some herb that could help her get better, InuYasha would have at least heard of it, even if he didn't know how to prepare it. Maybe that was what he was after.

* * *

It took only a few moments for the hanyou to slow down, coming to a riverside. There was a small clearing with multiple colored flowers there, and he could just wade into the shallow waters, which was what he did. "Hanaharu, when you were born, I promised nothing would ever take you away from me." He paused, stepping into the shallow water and making his way to the calm middle of the stream, bringing the young girl so that only her head was above the water. 

He was going to take the fever from her by bleeding it out with the water, letting the cold liquid take over the feeling of warmth in the girl's body. She didn't know what to think. Was she hot? Or was she cold? Her temperature was going down with the cool water; the trees were keeping the sun out of their faces, too. Young Hanaharu opened her tawny-golden eyes she had inherited from her father, looking up at him and reaching towards the silver tresses that hung over his shoulder. "Otou-san?"

"Annon, Aka-chan." He stroked the young girl's forehead, at least now she could call him her father correctly. It was a sign that she was improving in health, that she would be getting better. It would take a while for the fever to be completely gone, but he was fine with staying in the cold water for a while. It wouldn't be the only pain he had ever endured. And besides, Hanaharu was in much more pain than he would be.

* * *

"It's been two hours, do you think-" 

"Urusai!" The miko protested when Miroku started saying such things. "InuYasha knows what he's doing, and he wouldn't take Hanaharu away unless he knew what he was doing." She looked towards the way he had taken their daughter, only to see the hanyou clad in red walking back slowly. "Thank Kami." Kagome started running towards where the hanyou had a sleeping child in his arm, cradling her and trying to wake her up. She ran up and hugged her husband, kissing the sleeping girl's forehead. "Her fever's gone." She looked up to the hanyou. He was cold, and looked exhausted, but he would do anything for his daughter… and they were both wet.

"Hai."

"What did you-"

"I'm not telling." He smirked, kissing his mate on the cheek.

She might as well guess, he wasn't going to tell, but it was obvious he didn't give her anything. "Fine." She laid her head against his chest, looking down at Hanaharu. "Let's go home. We need to get her out of those clothes or she might get sick again.

"Hai."

* * *

Author's note: Sorry it took so long to post such a short, crappychapter. >. I promise I already have a chapter written up to put after this. 

Inu: Oh, joy. Like I care. (snort)

Sara-chan: (glomps him) X3 InuYasha still doesn't belong to me... even if I say he does... but Hanaharu is totally mine! (huggles Hanaharu)

Hanaharu: Weeee!

Inu: (exasperated sigh)


	6. Kikyou

Author's Note: Since the fic is called "Coming of Age" Hanaharu does grow up in it, so in this chapter, she's a bit older. I'm actually getting a lot more done with this fic than I thought I would.

* * *

"Hanaharu!" Cupped hands accompanied a gaping mouth as he waited for response from his daughter… anywhere…a scent, a sound, anything. The young girl often ran off on her own into the forest, seeing that most of the time it was safe… except for at night. But she was always back by nightfall, lest she fall victim to her father's rage.

"Hanaharu! Jigoku ni otosu." He stopped in his tacks, a slight breeze only blowing his daughter's scent away from him. He let out another growl, thinking to what experience he had with the girl. There was always one spot she enjoyed, and he had been ignorant to go and look there first.

* * *

Hanaharu sat there by the river, legs folded back behind her and golden eyes closed, humming a sweet harmony to herself with the stillness of the river. Unlike when she was three years old wearing a yutuka, she now wore a dark amethyst kimono, fitting her body freely so that she could sit in this manner. The young girl was ten years of age, and like her father at that age, thinking that she could do things on her own without supervision.

The young girl had her hands folded in her lap, a small purple flower in her hand. She loved flowers, and it had all to do with her name. She loved the fragrances, even if they were sometimes too strong. Her father would never let Hanaharu bring more than one flower home a week due to his acute sense of smell. She wished she could just stay out near the flowers of bring a few more home. Her mother also loved flowers, especially the light colored irises.

Hanaharu opened her golden colored eyes, looking to the flower she held in her hand. 'I believe Otou-san will like this one.' She looked into the water, leaning over towards the water's edge as she let the flower lie on the soft grass. The girl let a clawed finger run through the water, eyes closing somewhat as she lay down, propping her head up with the dry hand.

"Otou-san is probably looking for me… maybe I should go back. Okaa-san is probably worried too. She looked across the river. She knew, that if she really had wanted to, she could jump the river. But her father always told her that half the river and the other side was demon territory. She always wondered what was over there, why he had thought it so dangerous, but now she was even more interested.

"What are you doing." The girl looked back to see her father towering over her, his arms crossed as he sat down next to her. The hanyou waited for her to explain, but knowing his daughter, she would change the subject, or at least try.

She sat up, grabbing the flower she had picked out and presented it to him. "Otou-san, isn't this one pretty?" She smelled the flower, then showed it off to her father.

The hanyou took the flower from her, careful to put it in her hair near her ear. It was one of the prettiest flowers that the girl had ever shown him, probably second to the white and mauve iris. "What's it called?" He looked to his daughter, pulling away and smiling. She still was a daddy's girl, even if she didn't still admit as such.

She smiled up to her father, he asked the name of every new flower, even if he already knew. "It's called a Kikyou."

InuYasha gave a half-hearted smile, remembering a love that once was, but still smiling for his daughter. "Eki. Utsukushii." Even if it hurt him to remember, he would always have to keep a happy face on when around his innocent daughter. She didn't know better. It wasn't as if InuYasha and Kagome were going to explain every detail of their life together.

"I knew you would agree."

"Hai, now let's get going. Your mother wants you home for dinner. ON TIME."

This got a nervous laugh from the girl. She was almost never home for dinner when she needed to be, that is, unless some one came looking for her. "Gomen."

The hanyou stood up, holding out a hand to help his daughter stand. She took it, pulling herself up from he ground, dusting bits of grass before they headed home. "I'll race you."

"Otou-san! You always let me win! It gets boring after a while." She crossed her arms, looking up at him with a somber expression.

"You're saying you want to loose?" He laughed slightly, stopping in his tracks.

She stopped another pace ahead of him, turning back towards InuYasha. "I never thought I'd say this, but… Duh!"

She was telling him that she wanted to loose? She knew how athletic her father could be, she'd watched him before, and she wanted to see how she compared to him.

"Fine."

The girl hugged her father, excited that he would actually do it. "You're the best, Otou-san!" She pulled away from the other hanyou, the two lining up at two adjacent trees.

"Ready?" The hanyou showed a smirk. His daughter couldn't keep up with him if he was actually racing.

"As ready as it's gonna get."

"Set."

"Otou-san! Just get it over with!" She was impatient, and the hanyou knew it.

"Go!"

InuYasha didn't start until at least five seconds that Hanaharu went. She looked back to her father. "Cheater!"

How was he cheating? He was only giving her a head start, one that really wouldn't make any difference. InuYasha started running once the young girl was about twenty feet ahead. He made his way to her, kimono sleeves fluttering behind him, eyes set on the path ahead.

Hanaharu watched as he father passed her, running on towards the village and their home not even at top speed, disappearing into the thick forest. The breeze flowing past her caused the flower in her hair to loosen from her hair, falling out. "Oh!" She came to a stop, walking back towards it as she knelt down to pick it up. "That was strange." She stood up again, ready to go back home, and when she had even taken a step…

"Ahhhh!" The ground fell from under her, causing the fourth-demon girl to fall into a hole, a shaft that was much like a dirt slide. She fell slid downward, screaming the whole way as it tossed and turned her through the ground, finally landing on her stomach, and scraping up her kimono.

The girl groaned, opening her eyes to almost total darkness, just a glint from the tunnel she fell from. Hanaharu sat up, rubbing her head. "I…guess I… fell in." She stood up, brushing off the front of her kimono. "Well, that makes me late for dinner." The girl looked around the best she could in the dark, using her bare feet to feel around on the ground.

"Ah!" She jumped, feeling something sliver across her foot. She leant up against the wall, almost crying. "Otou-san… he'll come and get me." She clutched the flower in her hand, knowing that it was probably ruined. "Otou-san!" A tear fell to the floor, making the earth damp blow her.

* * *

The hanyou skidded to a stop, looking back towards where he had left the girl. "Hanaharu?" He sniffed at the air, listening to the forest. 'Where could she have gone?' He hadn't even been outside of her sight two minutes and she was gone. "Shimatta." He began rushing back; in disbelief that he had let his one and only daughter like that. "Hanaharu!" InuYasha ran back towards where he last saw the girl.

He heard a scream, finding a hole just large enough for the hanyou to fall through. He knelt down next to the hole, looking into the darkness. "Hanaharu! Are you down there?"

"Otou-san!" The young girl cried, making her way back towards the light. "Otou-san, I can't get out!" She clawed at the wall, desperately wanting out of there. "The walls are too steep and I can't climb through that tunnel!"

The hanyou looked around, taking off the outer fire-rat kimono that clothed his body. "Hold on and get away from the hole, I'm comin' down." The looked down through it, he could fit through. If he squeezed, he could. InuYasha wasn't a very large man, even if he was strong enough to take down demons a hundred times his size.

Hanaharu stepped back, knowing that her father would get to her even if it meant getting his sword out and hacking away the ground. It was starting to get harder to breathe now, and she was scared, even if her father was right there. "Otou-san… onegai… hayaku."

The hanyou easily made his way down the slide, landing on his feet at the bottom, his daughter running up and embracing him, crying. InuYasha hugged her back, closing his eyes. "Hanaharu, gomen ne, I shouldn't have done that."

She opened her eyes, looking up to the man. "Otou-san, it's not your fault. The flower fell, and I went back to get it."

"Hanasu na." He looked around the small cavern. He could see better in the dark than his daughter because he had more demonic blood. "Save the air, we need to find a way out.

"Otou-san, can't you use Tetsusaiga to break through the ground?" She pulled away from him, looking back up towards the opening above them.

"Iie. The ground might burry us."

The small girl closed her eyes, making a silent prayer to the kami. Her mother and father weren't all too religious, but the monk had told her to respect the Buddha and kami, and told her if she prayed, they would answer her. "Otou-san?"

The hanyou was looking up towards the entrance. Hanaharu wouldn't be able to climb up it, the way down was too slippery and there was nothing to hang onto. "I have an idea. Hanaharu, get on my back."

The girl did as her father commanded. She knew he wasn't always sensible, but when he needed to do something, he knew what he was doing. She climbed onto his back hanging onto him around his neck as if she were to let go she would die. "Ookee."

The hanyou didn't hold onto her, cracking his knuckles as he looked up at the celing of the small cave. "Eki. Hold on tight." He flexed his claws, jumping up at the celing. "Sankontessou!"

He slashed at the ground above them, causing it to fall down and stir up dust and dirt from all around. Light poured around into the cave as the roof collapsed, InuYasha taking this opportunity to jump out into the light, both he and his daughter being covered in the damp earth as it fell past them. He landed in a kneeling position on a large tree, giving Hanaharu the chance to let go and stand for herself.

She was too scared, clinging around his neck even after her tried loosening her grip a bit. "Iie, Otou-san." She kept her eyes closed and her head against his back, not budging.

InuYasha understood, letting her hang there on his back as he looked down to the large crater where the cave was. "Hanaharu, miru."

"Otou-san, watashi wa kowai." She slit her eyes open, looking the at the ground as she let out a gasp. "It's bigger than I thought it was." The crater was about twenty feet long, and there was at least ten feet of the ground gone. She slowly let go of her father, only keeping a thin hand against his shoulder. "Chichi, where's your kimono?"

He looked around, spotting a bit of red on the ground; he jumped down to get it, holding it in a clawed hand as he sat there in a crouched position. "Musume, let's go home." Both of them were absolutely covered in dirt, a bath even sounded good to InuYasha.

"Hai." She smiled, sitting down on the branch and sliding off, landing on the ground under the tree.


	7. Anger or hatred?

Author's Note: Um... gomen? ; That was a long wait... but... um.. I kinda didn't have much time to get this up or even type it. I was stuck with two pages and had to come up with something else for this chap. would be uberly short.

* * *

"Otou-san!" The girl protested, throwing her hands into fists at her side as she stood arguing with her father in the front room. "It wasn't my fault and you know that!"

"I don't care, and if you're going to yell and argue with me then maybe you should go to your room and think about it!" The hanyou was mad, more like worried for his ten-year-old daughter. Even though she looked youkai, she was more ningen than anything else. She didn't know how to fight, and it was likely that she would never be strong seeing that InuYasha had only trained her enough so that she may be able to protect herself from weak youkai.

The girl growled, glaring at her father. She had never argued with him before, especially when it came to her own safety. If they ever did "fight" it was over her bedtime or who got the last bowl of instant ramen before the house was empty of it. "Fine! It's better than listening to you yell at me!"

During the whole time Kagome stood helplessly near the door to the bedroom, watching her husband and daughter argue. It reminded her of how she and InuYasha used to fight at the beginning of their journey.

Hanaharu ran into her room, eye brimmed with tears. Her father had never been this strict or mean to her, she was a spoiled little girl that got what she wanted from him, most of the time. It made her feel worthless. She fell down onto the futon, burying her head in the pillow. "Why is Otou-san mad? It's not my fault I fell into that hole." She sobbed quietly, not sure how to take this newfound anger from her father, She had never seen InuYasha's rage, and it sacred her.

The hanyou let out a sigh, sitting down on one of the mats next to the table; a sulky mood had once again taken over. "What am I doing wrong?"

Kagome sat down next to her husband, wrapping her arms around him and letting her head rest against his shoulder. "For one, you're yelling at her. She didn't do anything wrong."

The woman's consoling didn't do much good for the hanyou; he still looked upset. Doing this to his daughter made him feel bad. "I guess… it's because I see you in her."

The former miko chuckled, Hanaharu was her daughter, but that was just ludicrous. "I think it's because she's like you. I can handle one InuYasha, but two?" Kagome stood up, laughing slightly as she moved from her husband towards the part of that room that was the kitchen.

"And what's THAT supposed to mean?"

"You know, InuYasha. You can be hard to get along with." She dug into the small cabinet, pulling out one of the cherished cups of instant noodles that were worshiped in the household. She walked over to the fire pit, a boiling pot already made.

"Keh!" The hanyou crossed his arms, wanting to look away but keeping them on the cup of ramen.

"See what I mean?" The miko dipped the wooden ladle into the water, pouring two spoonfuls into the cup. "Once it's done, I want you to take this to Hanaharu."

"What! Why me?" The hanyou snarled, looking at his mate with disbelieving and angered eyes. He wanted the ramen for himself.

"Because," she shoved it into his hand, "she's your daughter."

He just sat there staring into the ramen juices swirl in the cup. "So? She's your daughter, too."

The former miko sat down in front of her husband, "If you couldn't take care of her, why did you help me make her?" She kissed his cheek, a flush on her countenance.

The hanyou went red; not sure whether to smile, frown, or feel embarrassed. "Fine." He stood up, looking down to Kagome. He wasn't doing this for her, he was doing this for his depressed daughter. He walked over to the young girl's bedroom, knocking on the carved door. He brought his knuckles into a first, knocking on it before walking in. He didn't even wait for an answer. He didn't need to wait for an answer. She was decent and it was his house. "Sit up, onegai, aka-chan."

"Otou-san!" The girl cried, sitting up just so that she could glare at him with a red face and wet tears. "Stop calling me that!"

"Gomen ne, Hanaharu." He walked in and closed the door behind him, sitting down next to her and placing the ramen on the floor. "Here."

"Have you eaten yet?" She only glared towards her father.

"Iie."

"Keep it!" She yelled, burying her face in the pillow again and trying to ignore him. "Okaa-san made you bring it to me!"

InuYasha's ears fell flat, "Hai, she did." He paused, listening to his daughter's sobs and growling. "Stop moping!"

The girl shot up, clutching her pillow in her claws as her anger only worsened. "Why! Because I annoy you?"

"Yeah!" He slammed a curled fist on the wooden floor. He hadn't been worked up in an argument of fight like this since before Hanaharu was born, even with Kagome.

The girl gasped, turning away from her father. There was a short period of silence before she spoke. "Get out." She said calmly, closing her eyes.

The hanyou didn't move, just sitting there glaring at his daughter.

"Get out!" She was fed up, standing up and threatening to throw her chair at him. She grabbed it and hurled it towards him. "I hate you!"

InuYasha stood up quickly, blocking the impact with his arm and kimono sleeve.

In a blind rage Hanaharu continued throwing things at her father, not caring what the consequences would be as long as he left.

He finally caught her hands as she was reaching for a burning lantern. "Hanaharu…"

Wrenching her wrist away from him, the sliver-haired girl was panting, her head facing the ground. She couldn't even look at him. "Let go of me."

The hanyou pulled her back up against him, holding her so that her ear was against his chest. This was one of the easiest ways to calm her down: his heart beat.

"**I hate you**," she muttered to her father, pounding her fist on his chest. Each impact became more delayed and softer until it stopped. She buried her head in his chest, sobbing the words loudly over and over. She then almost fell to her knees, bringing InuYasha down with her.

Throughout the entire escapade the hanyou listened to her willingly, her words hurt him, dearly. She had never in her ten years tell him that she hated him or rejected him. "Hanaharu…" He placed a hand over her back. "You may say that but, ai shiteru."

She sobbed again, refusing that he did. "No you don't!" She hit his chest once again as she moved away. "You hate me, you yelled and lied to me!"

"Hanaharu, he let her have her space, moving away. "I'll let you think for a while." Soberly InuYasha left his daughter's room, closing the door as he left.

Kagome was waiting in the front room, tears filling her eyes as she reached out for him. She knew that Hanaharu's word hurt him more than they her. And she was the one who was crying.

InuYasha shook his head, and without saying a word, the hanyou left into the bedroom to contemplate.

* * *

The girl continued to sob, cursing against the kami and her father in the pillow. She hated her father, at least for the moment. He was a monster, a demon bent on making her life miserable. Most things in this world were. Right now, to her, there was nothing good. All she could do was sit there and take in the bad. Hanaharu looked up, the window. The always partially opened window.

He clutched her fist at her side, glaring back at the closed door. 'He won't miss me. No one will.'

A tear ran down the young girl's cheek. She came up to the window, opening it fully before looking outside. The coast was clear. She climbed onto the windowsill and jumped out on to the ground, almost tripping as she did so. She landed on her feet, crouching down as to catch herself.

With a small pant, the fourth demon girl stood up, walking off towards the forest.

* * *

He sat curled up in the darkness of his room, hands falling limp over his legs, knees close to his chest as his head lay against them. It was almost as if he were sleeping; he wasn't. InuYasha was wide-awake, golden eyes piercing the darkness as he glared at the floor. He felt bad, listening to those things come from Hanaharu, but it couldn't be helped. He felt as if this were his entire fault, which he was a bad parent and had failed at the job. Losing her like this was as bad, maybe worse than, losing her to a demon.

"InuYasha?"

"Hai?"

Kagome stepped in through the door, seeing him in the corner like that made her feel bad, too. But she was the optimist. Kagome smiled, sitting down next to her husband and placing a hand over his. "Don't blame yourself."

"Why? You're the one who said I was too hard on her." He sat up and looked out their window towards the moon. One day until the first quarter; it would come the next night.

Kagome also looked up at it, then back down at him. "I did, but she'll get over it. All girls say they hate their parents, but that doesn't mean anything."

"She's ten." He continued looking out towards the moon.

"And almost a teenager." Kagome leant up against him. "When I was her age I'm sure I did thing against my mother as well, maybe not as violent or hateful, but she's your daughter. I can't expect anything else."

He looked down to Kagome, letting out a snort. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Kagome laughed. "She's a lot like you." The former miko laid her head against InuYasha's shoulder and closed her eyes. She knew they were both tired from what had happened earlier, Hanaharu the most due to stress. Sleep was the best thing, and they could all talk it out in the morning. "Besides, tomorrow night I want to take her back to see her grandmother."

"Fine." He closed his eyes, listening to what went on outside, but also to Kagome's breathing as she fell asleep. It wasn't long before he drifted off into the darkness, either; unknowing that his daughter had wandered off into the black of the forest.

* * *

Author's Note: Um... yeah.. shocking to me too. ; Um... Hanaharu's a little mad right now... and I'm TRYING to calm her down so I can write the next chapter.

Hanaharu: Shut up and leave me alone!

Me: -sweatdrop- Moody ten-year-olds... not fun..


	8. Calm Waters

Author's Note: Um… I had half this chapter written up, and then my dad "activated" the BSoD and had to redo my settings… which got it deleted and got me pissed off at him. MAN! I had the perfect intro for…>.> …You'll see. But yeah, if you're not up to date on the latest manga in Japan, you might not know what's going on. Spoilers for you! –winning gesture-

* * *

"Damnit!"

"How long has she been missing, InuYasha." The monk stood outside his door. The sun was just cleared of the trees and it looked as though both of them had only been awake for a half an hour.

"I don't know, but she's not anywhere in the village." He crossed his arms, staring at the ground. "I bet she left last night after our argument." That last comment was to himself.

This was the most upset Miroku had seen his friend in a long time. He knew how he babied and spoiled his daughter, but to hear that she ran away was just ridiculous. "It couldn't have been your fa-"

"Urusai, houshi." InuYasha snorted towards his friend. He knew it was his fault. "You gonna help me or not?"

He nodded; knowing that Sango would understand once Kagome came over and explained everything. "Hai. Let's-"

As soon as he said yes, the hanyou sprinted off towards the forest, not even caring to bring anything with him. He didn't care if something got in his way, he would kill it without a regret. He didn't know what he would do if… no thinking about that right now.

* * *

"ANOTHER RIVER?" The small hanyou girl ran her fingers through the water. This would be the third river she crossed that day. This one seemed the calmest so far. She couldn't rest, though. By now her father knew she was gone, and most likely looking for her. Washing off her scent in three rivers would keep him busy for a while.

She took a few steps back from the water's edge, kneeling down on her knee, but then fell back to a sitting position. "Ow!" She grabbed her knee, looking at the ground where a small wound had spilt blood onto the ground. "Dangit." She stood back up, a small crimson spot on her amethyst kimono. "I don't have time to stop and worry about that right now," she mumbled, standing up as she looked at the river. She could jump… most of it, and swim the rest of the way. Hanaharu nodded, taking another two steps back and running forward, jumping into the air. She took a deep breath, ready for impact of the water.

She landed hard, being sucked under by the submerged current of the river. She had trusted the seemingly calm waters, and now, if she couldn't get out, it would cost the fourth-demon girl her life.

She tried swimming upward, but to no prevail, it was too strong of a downward pull. She opened her mouth, bubbles floating to the surface as she continued being pulled downstream. She clutched her large ebon tail, unsure of what would happen to her. Would she be saved, or left for dead. At the moment, she wanted her father to come and be the hero he always was. At least to her.

Hanaharu inhaled water, the last thing she remembered before blacking out.

* * *

A small fire was built in the middle of the dark forest, the monk and hanyou sitting near it on opposite sides.

"It's been a long tie since we've slept out in the woods." The monk sat cross-legged on the ground as he looked up past the canopy of the trees towards the stars.

"Almost twelve years." InuYasha was watching the flames dance, lying on his side supporting his chin against a clenched fist. Hanaharu was almost eleven, Kagome knew exactly; she was better with dates, but he knew at least a month. 'I might not get to celebrate it.'

"Cheer up. Buddha wouldn't want you to be so melancholy." The monk was only trying to cheer him up, but he winced at his friend's answer.

"Fuck Buddha." He snorted, closing his eyes. "For all I know my daughter could be dead, and all you can dish out at me is a bunch of BS about someone you don't even know exists."

Miroku was offended by the answer, but the hanyou was right about one thing. Hanaharu… "InuYasha. I know how you feel about all of this, but offending Buddha isn't going to make anything better."

He thought about it for a moment. Miroku was a monk, more religious than he would ever be. "Gomen."

"As long as you ask Buddha to keep Hanaharu safe, he will."

"I still think it's a load of BS."

The monk let out a sigh. He was never going to get through to InuYasha. "Think what you will." He lay back on the cold ground, closing his eyes and listening to the sounds of nature.

InuYasha laid his head on his crossed arms, letting out a wondering sigh. He had one last thought before he fell asleep. 'Buddha… I know I haven't done much to deserve it but, onegai, keep my daughter safe.'

* * *

Moaning in pain, the small girl woke up… startled; she grasped her tail. She was nowhere near a river, and she was dry… it was morning. She curled up, closing her eyes again and burying her head in the ebony tail.

"You! Girl! Quit your stalling and get up. Milord will be back soon and you had better show your proper respects!"

A voice… of someone she had never heard before. It was kind of high-pitched and annoying at times, but whoever it was seemed loyal to whoever his lord was. "Huh?"

She opened her eyes to see a small creature standing in front of her, maybe two feet tall, and it looked like some sort of a frog-type demon. He was clad in a brown kimono that split near the legs and a small pointed hat that strapped down under his chin. In his hand was a wooden staff. At the end seemed to be two heads. She wasn't sure if they were a real man or woman, and she didn't want to find out.

"Your lord?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama was the one who pulled you from that river, though I have no idea why, and you had better show him you are grateful. If you don't, he may just abandon you here." The toad-like creature said as if it were a threat to keep her in line. Hanaharu understood. For all she knew this lord of his could have pulled her out of the river to eat her.

'Sesshoumaru-sama?' The girl stood, looking back behind her to see a large beast. It was a brownish color, what looked like to be the mix between a horse and a dragon. It had two heads, each snout had a black muzzle on it, and it had two tails, one for each head. Running down its long necks were black manes, its large body folded up on the ground as it was resting, and one head sleeping as the other on looked up at her.

"I don't want to be left alone. Not out here." She came closer to the large beast, wondering if it would bite her. Hanaharu reached out to pet its mane, and all she got out of it was a happy grunt from it.

"Stop playing with Aun! You're wasting time." The toad seemed kind of annoyed… of course; with past experiences you would think that he were more used to having a kid ignoring him.

She turned back towards the toad, bowing slightly. He may be annoying, and a stranger, but he was one of the people that saved her from certain death. "Gomen nasai, I-"

"Jaken," a cold voice rand out from behind her, but he seemed young, she could tell.

Turning around, Hanaharu could see the taiyoukai standing before her. She almost gasped in awe.

The youkai had long silver hair, much like her own, only silkier and much longer, his cold golden eyes glancing down to the girl only just above half his size. The markings on his face were enough proof to say he was a demon, the cerulean cresset moon on his forehead, the claret eye shadow and the burgundy striped cheeks. His pointed ears came back under his long hair, and it seemed that he was missing his left arm. Over his right shoulder was what seemed to be a cream-colored tail, one just like her own.

The youkai wore most white hakama and a kimono, red flowered patterns on the sleeves and left shoulder. His armor was another story. The breastplate was a deep charcoal color, steel-colored spiked sections of his armor above the breastplate and over what remained of his left shoulder. Around his waist was a sash, going back around his thighs to his lower back attached to his armor; the sash was golden and violet, hanging down in front of him. He also wore black shoes over his feet, protecting them from the earth. In his sash was what seemed to be a sheathed sword, the hilt of it was pattered red and white, and the sheath was wooden.

Hanaharu couldn't help but stare at him; she had never seen anyone like him. She always thought that most demons, at least the ones that occasionally attacked the village were ugly. 'He's so beautiful… how could he harm me?'

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" The toad bowed slightly, listening to what the lord had to say.

"Urusai," he obviously didn't want Jaken picking on the girl, he wasn't finished with her.

"Hai… M-Milord."

* * *

The hanyou had his nose almost plastered to the ground, sniffing for any sing that his daughter had left behind. Her blood. He smelled it, but only a little. He sat on his knees staring into the water, broken. How could he have let this happen? Was he doomed to have a tortured life? If he at least didn't find Hanaharu's body, he wouldn't be able to move on.

The monk stood behind him. They had both been away from home for two days, searching for InuYasha's daughter, and he knew, that if she hadn't gotten help… or eaten, they would have found her by now. "InuYasha, don't give up. I'm sure she will either go back home on her own or we'll find her. If you give up now then you'll never know."

The hanyou just sat on the ground, head lowered as he thought. The monk had no idea how he felt. Miroku had ten children and they all loved him, InuYasha had one child but she hated him. How could they compare? "You should go home."

This got a stupefied look from the monk as he just stood there behind InuYasha. "But you-"

"This is my problem, not yours." He stood up, looking at the river. He had gotten used to Hanaharu's scent disappearing every time she came to a river, so if she had kept going, he would know. "I smelled her blood on the ground right over there, so, if anything has happened to her, you don't deserve to have to go through seeing her."

"She's not dead, I can tell you that, InuYasha. But if you insist on going alone, I want you to come back with me and rest for a day. You'll need it."

"Damnit, houshi!" InuYasha growled, looking back at him. "Every moment I waste is another chance that she might get killed! Hanaharu doesn't know how to protect herself." He was upset and frightened for his daughter's life. If he didn't bring her back alive and well, he didn't think he could tell Kagome.

"Hai. I understand. Just come home with her soon." The monk turned to leave. He hated to abandon the search, but he was sure that Kagome and Sango were worried sick.

"Miroku," they turned towards each other. InuYasha's tone of voice had changed, he seemed calmer, more solemn. "Arigatou. You didn't have to come out here and put up with my crap. I can't tell you how grateful I am."

This made the monk smile. "Yes I did. I couldn't stand to see you and Kagome-sama suffer like this. And besides, I trust you."

InuYasha nodded, "Tell Kagome, that if I'm not back in three days by noon, tops, to not come looking for me." With that, InuYasha sprung out across the river, running off into the forest.

"I doubt she'll wait three days." The monk turned back around, walking back towards the village. He had a long walk ahead, and now in his thirties, this wouldn't be so easy going back by himself. He was a bit older now, but InuYasha still looked the same as he always did: young, energetic, and still arrogant to the rules that weren't set by himself. Miroku had no doubt that InuYasha would outlive Kagome by many years. In fact, when she grew old, he would still look the same. Poor InuYasha. Once Kagome was gone, all he would have left would be Hanaharu, and if she was gone…

* * *

"Girl," the lord only stared down at her with cold eyes. Was this the young child he pulled from the river? She wasn't even in her teens, yet she had been there by herself, probably well taken care of. "What were you doing in the forest?" This was his domain, so it was appropriate to ask. And besides, she just her scent reminded him of his vile younger brother. He hadn't seen InuYasha in over ten years.

"M'lord, I would rather not talk about it, if you don't mind." She spoke as if she totally respected the inu-youkai before her. And she did, lest she wish to have her head lopped off. She looked up to Sesshoumaru, eyes full of fear and respect, but also of appreciation and even a bit of security.

"As you please." The lord turned around gracefully, starting to walk away, the toad fallowing at his heels.

Aun looked back at the young girl, grunting to her before Jaken came back and grabbed the reigns, tugging him towards the lord. "Sesshoumaru-sama! Please, don't leave without me!"

Hanaharu just stared after him. The demon that had saved her life was now leaving her here in the field. She didn't want to be alone. "Sesshoumaru-sama," she cried out, running a few steps after him before falling to her knees again.

The youkai turned his head, looking back to Hanaharu as he stopped looking over his left shoulder, the toad stopping at his feet. "Hai?"

"M'lord…" she looked up, near tears; the fear of being alone again written all over her face. "If it is all right with you, I ask permission to fallow you. I promise I won't be a burden, and I will get my own food. I just don't think I could survive out here on my own."

Jaken was about to say something when Sesshoumaru spoke up. All he knew was that he didn't want to have to deal with another brat.

"Do what you will," The lord started walking again. If this girl were going to fallow him, then he wouldn't mind. It would be like it had been those years ago when he had another young girl trailing after him. It was obvious, her parentage. She was an exact image of him, if not for the tail and color of the ears… and the fact that she was a girl. She looked exactly like her father, but he was not going to point this out, and if Jaken were to try, he would ignore the toad like he had many times before.

'He said yes?' The girl stood up, whipping the tears from her eyes. This demon… he was totally different from what the demon stereotype was: stupid, ugly, and vicious. He was quiet, kind, and to her, she could already tell that he was powerful. The girl rushed up behind the beast, laying a hand up against its thigh. She could feel Aun's muscles contracting with each step. 'He's nothing like what Otou-san told me about demons.' She shook the thought out of her mind. Right now, she didn't want to think about him. Now that she was with Sesshoumaru, she didn't need her father's help. Besides, why would she want her father to help? This lord was the one who fished her out of the river half-dead.

Hanaharu was attached to him already. Even if she was only a young girl, Sesshoumaru had taken her in and just being near him made her feel safe for some reason. The last thing that was on her mind wasif theywere related.

* * *

Author's Note: …That was the longest delay.. and the longest chapter. Ah, well, I guess just having her fallow Sesshoumaru-sama like Rin did gets me all giddy inside. Maybe they'll go pick flowers! XD …Just kidding… but she does like flowers. XP Wait 'to see what happens next… yeah. Once she finds out she's related to him. Weeeee! –flies around the room- '…You can fly?' raises brow o.0; -falls->. You just had to point that out…. 


	9. Henshin

Author's note: Okay… next chapter. Yay. More Sesshoumaru-sama… and Hanaharu's "secret." … Well, everyone should know it… if they pay attention to the series at all. Oh… and… sorry to any Buddhists that were offended... if that last chapter offended anyone... slap me in a review... Heh heh... -sweatdrop-

* * *

Tawny-golden eyes glanced up to the sky; the young fourth-demon saw that it was almost nightfall, what she feared. Up ahead was the demon lord she had joined only earlier that day; he had been going nonstop since then. She could deal with it… she was just worried about tonight. She looked up at him, pace quickening into a light run as she came up to his side, causing him to stop and wait for her to speak, or whatever she was going to do. "Sesshoumaru-sama, if it is alright with you, I would like to find somewhere to rest before sundown."

"Girl, Sesshoumaru-sama can do as he pleases if he doesn't want to stop, then-" Jaken tried reprimanding the girl, telling her it was Sesshoumaru's choice to stop whenever he wanted.

"Fine." He interrupted the toad. They had entered the forest a long time ago from the field where Hanaharu woke up. This would be a fine pace to rest for the night, as long as they got moving first light tomorrow.

This action that the lord made surprised Jaken, the girl had first got to join them and then she got to pick where and when they settled down the first night she was there. It was as if she were controlling the lord, as if she was telling him what to do. Jaken wouldn't stand for it. "But Milord, we could get so much traveling done before we would have to stop and rest."

The lord only glared down to his servant, knowing that it alone was enough to shut him up. "The girl is only one fourth demon. If you were here and were dragged out or a river just before drowning you would need your rest, too. Needless to say, she will be in much better condition to travel in the morning."

Hanaharu only looked up the lord as she stood next to Aun, keeping a small, clawed hand on the beast's shoulder blade. "M'lord, how did you know I was only one fourth demon?" She was confused, she had never even told the daiyoukai her name let alone her parentage. She was confused, wondering about how he could know. Had she said something in her sleep when she was pulled from the river? It was almost as if he were psychic, and it sort of scared her. Hanaharu grabbed onto her tail, maybe that was it, how he knew.

"Your scent."

'My scent?' Well… maybe it was kind of obvious seeing that he was daiyoukai. She didn't have as strong a sense of smell and such. But that still didn't explain why he had the same kind of tail that she had. Hanaharu had never seen another demon with anything quite so… unique. She thought it was because she was fourth demon that she had it. Guess not. Sesshoumaru was definitely not any less of pure demon blood. "I see." She looked sort of disappointed. If he was able to tell just because of her scent, everyone else that had a nose better than hers could, too.

Jaken was kind of embarrassed, how did he not sense it? Oh, well, at least his lord was still able to. "Of course Sesshoumaru-sama was able to tell what you were. You smell mostly human, and your aura's not very strong."

The girl looked disappointed, her hand still on Aun as the beast lay down. It was the friendliest creature in the bunch from what she could tell. The daiyoukai was quiet, but she could tell he was kind. Why else would he have saved her from that river? And the toad… he was kind of annoying, but he was significantly loyal to his lord. There were good qualities about him. "I guess you're right. I wasn't using my head." She smiled lightly, watching the lord walk off again to sit down near a large rock, the toad also walking off to go get some rest.

Hanaharu looked up at the sky, she could already see the moon out, first quarter. The sun wasn't completely got, yet, so this was her time to hide. She sat behind the large beast, luckily it had turned so that she could sit up against it and be comfortable while at the same time, turned away from the youkai lord so that he couldn't see her.

Hanaharu looked down at her tail, hugging it tightly as she stared at the ground. 'Perfect time to run away, Hanaharu, you idiot. Otou-san is probably so worried… But why should I think about him? Sesshoumaru-sama will take care of me… but… who knows how long?'

She closed her eyes as she looked up at the sun. She had already begun to not be able to smell as well as she had. The girl sighed, her large fluffed tail receding, it no longer existed. She blinked and her eyes became dark, much like her mother's and her ears became those of a human. Her claws also changed, her hair turning a deep black color. She just had to keep hidden from the lord until morning… not like that would do much seeing that he could probably smell her change. Hopefully he wouldn't say anything and the toad would stay where she couldn't be seen.

The creature she leant up against looked down at her with both heads, grunting as it nudged her side. It hadn't seen her like this until just now... of course not, not even Sango or Miroku knew which night she changed. It was her parent's and her secret. Aun was surprised, this was the first time it had ever seen some one who was demon suddenly turn human. It was strange.

"Shhh. Aun, onegai." She didn't want Jaken or Sesshoumaru-sama to see her like this, especially Jaken. Sesshoumaru might not care, seeing that he really didn't care about anything that went on with her, but Jaken. The toad would at least protest her being there. He already had. The girl rubbed Aun under the chin, getting a pleased moan from it as the bead lay on of its heads down on her lap. "Just don't tell Sesshoumaru-sama." She leant back up against the dragon, closing her deep auburn eyes.

* * *

Horrified screaming… that was all that ran through InuYasha's mind. The screaming of his daughter's death under the hand of some pathetic demon that he could have saved her from. He woke up again; started and almost falling out of the tree he had taken shelter in. InuYasha had been traveling all that day and most of the night before; he needed rest if he was ever going to find Hanaharu. He had yet to pick up her scent again, and due to that he was upset and even scared for her.

With a hand up against the trunk, he looked up at the moon, clutching the kimono over his chest. "Damnit. I gotta stop dreaming like that." He looked at the ground, leaning back against the tree as he crossed his arms.

'Hanaharu better be safe… I don't know what I would do if she wasn't... and... How would I tell Kagome?' He closed his eyes once more, sighing as he tried to get to sleep again. It would have been nice to have some one out here helping him, but Miroku and Sango had their own lives, and Kagome… he couldn't stand putting her in danger, too.

InuYasha wanted to find her quickly and take her home. Not only was he worried, but also everyone in the village knew. It's not like InuYasha screaming at six o'clock in the morning couldn't be heard for at least a mile all around. After a few moments, the hanyou fell back asleep, knowing that he wouldn't have long to sleep. He had to catch his daughter's scent again, it seemed it had totally disappeared… as if she had been carried away by something.

* * *

After tonight his chances of finding Hanaharu alive would be bleak. The first quarter moon was the time when Hanaharu lost her demonic blood, and that was tonight. If she wasn't already dead, then she was human at the moment, and that was why InuYasha had to find her.

It was at least an hour before Hanaharu was bothered at all, sleeping against the beast in her human form. One of Aun's heads looked up towards where Jaken was coming closer, almost growling towards the toad… it sounded more like a deep mumble, though. The girl was kind to Aun, in turn, it wanted to protect her.

"Shhh, Aun. I'm only- eh?" He looked down to Hanaharu's human form, so much different from her fourth demon self. He was so surprised that he almost fell backwards, clutching the staff he carried in his three-fingered hands.

Without trying to wake the girl, Jaken ran over to his lord. Complaining from the toad was unavoidable. "Sesshoumaru-sama! That girl! She's-"

The lord looked as though he had been sleeping. Not anymore. "Jaken. I know. Urusai."

The toad stopped talking for a moment, looking up as he questioned his lord with wide frightened eyes. "But Milord, if you knew, then why did you not tell her to be on her own?"

The lord was annoyed with Jaken, but he would answer Jaken's question. "Because, Jaken, all creatures that are a crossbreed of ningen and youkai go through times when they become human." Obviously Jaken didn't know this. The only reason he did? His younger brother. He knew that InuYasha went through those times on the new moon, but never went after him because it would be a fair fight. There was no doubt that he would be able to kill off InuYasha during those times.

"But Milord, if you knew that then why didn't you go after Inu-"

This got a glare from the lord before he laid his head back against his large tail, ignoring the toad as he fell asleep again.

'Milord knew? Then… I won't question Sesshoumaru-sama's intentions.' He walked away from his lord back to the place where he had been sleeping, crossing his arms as he held the staff in hand again. 'But this girl… She's InuYasha's offspring. Wouldn't Sesshoumaru-sama find it easier to just kill her off? He doesn't need any competition.'

* * *

Sniff…sniff sniff…sniff… sniff… "Kami… damnit." InuYasha brought his face off the ground, crouched as he stared at the sky. Early morning, about an hour before the sun would come up. He smelled Hanaharu… but… he also smelled his older brother. Sesshoumaru didn't even know that InuYasha had a daughter, let alone one that was nearly in her teens and only one-fourth demon. He knew now.

Maybe Sesshoumaru didn't kill her… she wasn't here and there was no smell of blood. The hanyou stood up, looking towards where the scents went, Sesshoumaru had left with Hanaharu, there was no doubt, but were they still together and was she still alive? He could only hope that she was still alive and not terribly injured.

'Sesshoumaru… if you've harmed a hair on Hanaharu's head, I'll kill you. This time, I won't hesitate.' The grass he stood in was up to his knees, but that made it easier to tell where they were standing and what may have happened. If he didn't smell her blood, and she seemingly went with Sesshoumaru intentionally, then maybe she wasn't dead. Sesshoumaru once had a human girl fallowing him, why not another? Because… she was his competition. If something were to happen to Sesshoumaru, InuYasha would be heir to their father's lands. After him, it was Hanaharu.

No use waiting here. Hanaharu still had a good hour in her defenseless human form. InuYasha started running, knowing that even if he was too late to help Hanaharu, he could kill Sesshoumaru. Then again, he hadn't seen his brother for years. There was an occasional moment where he caught his brother's scent, but never any contact. They were too busy to bother each other. Sesshoumaru knew that InuYasha protected that village, it was his territory, but he didn't care. He had the rest of the lands of the west to himself. 'Gomen ne, Hanaharu. If anything happens to you, I'll kill him.'

* * *

Russet eyes fluttered open, the light had been just barely visible from behind the mountains, but she wouldn't change back until it was peeking over them. 'I hate this night.' She stood up as she looked over the back of the beast. Sesshoumaru was gone, but Jaken still sat in the place where he fell asleep. She sat down and patted Aun's head, waking the beast as it looked up at her with all four eyes.

At least she had some protection from demons that may come to kill her. But she didn't know how Jaken and Aun could do anything. She had only been with them about a day. If Sesshoumaru left her with them he had to have a good reason. Either he didn't care about her, or Jaken and Aun were enough to take care of her. Hanaharu looked away from the sun as it began to peer over the mountains.

With a pulse of youki, the young girl's hair grew pale again, her claws returning as she clutched her hands. Again at her side was the large black tail and the doglike ears appeared back from the silver hair. She opened her golden eyes as the beast of burden watched, patting its head as she came around to the other side looking down at Jaken. He was already awake, sitting as he watched the sun rise.

He didn't look as though he had seen her, but all she had to do was hope that he didn't walk up and see her last night. The first quarter moon… Her father had told her something one night… once when it had been his turn, when there was no moon.

* * *

"Hanaharu," the hanyou held his young daughter in his lap, she looked to be about six years old, and almost asleep as she clung to the fire rat robes he wore. Like he had so many times before, the hanyou had reverted to his human form under the powers of the moon-less sky above him. His hair was dark, as were his eyes; his dog-like features such as his ears, fangs and claws had disappeared.

The young fourth-demon's eyes fluttered open as she looked up to her father. If you didn't know any better there would seem to be no resemblance between them. He was human at the moment, holding a small demonic child. "Otou-san?"

He watched his daughter before looking at the sky again. "Do you know why we change once a month?" He stoked her hair, coaxing the girl to look up at him not so tiredly.

She blinked and rubbed her eyes, snapping out of her tired state. "Because the moon hates you?"

The hanyou scratched his head… so... Hanaharu had over heard him one night talking to Kagome; though from his memory, what he said was much more vulgar. "I was just joking around when I said that, Aka-chan."

"Oh." She yawned, grabbing her tail as she still held on to InuYasha. "Because we're only part youkai?"

He knew that Hanaharu didn't fully understand the concept of being partially demon, but she knew enough to know that she wasn't human or demon. "Hai." He rubbed his daughter's head, making her smile up at him again." But we also change as a reminder to ourselves."

She was a little confused. Six year olds didn't always understand everything their parents told them. "A reminder?" She closed her eyes for a moment before looking back up to him to finish.

"Hai. A reminder that tells us that we need to know what we are, and that we need to protect the ningens like your mother." He had realized that a long time ago, that his purpose in life was to protect humans and be with Kagome, and now he was letting Hanaharu know that her human blood actually helped her to appreciate them more. She had never really seen demons before, any way. InuYasha always ran off and killed them before they even got close to the village. He despised any demon that came into his forest, his territory.

"Oh…" She closed her eyes again, she had heard it, but was too tired to really think about it at the moment. InuYasha never slept the night of the beginning of the cycle, but he always made sure that Hanaharu slept, he was just making sure she got rest. And besides, he only stayed up out of habit. Those years that he spent by himself… they took a toll on his life. The small girl fell asleep, knowing her father was there to watch her… even if he was human at the moment.

* * *

That was all that Hanaharu remembered of that moment before she fell asleep… her father telling her that she needed to protect humans. 'Otou-san… I know you told me… but… Sesshoumaru-sama is taking care of me now.'

She looked off to the side, the daiyoukai appearing from the darkness of the forest. His gleaming silver hair was easy to spot from where he was. With her large ebon tail in her grasp, she grabbed Aun's reigns and pulled him towards the lord.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" The girl beamed, walking up to the lord, the toad right behind her. He was now her lord. She would fallow under him until she was able to take care of herself. She had decided she wouldn't go home. Her father was probably out looking for her, and this was the third day she had been missing. If he found her with Sesshoumaru, there was no doubt he would be mad, he would be upset that she ran off, regardless. Sesshoumaru-sama would protect and stand up for her, though. She hoped.

The youkai lord looked up towards the forest. His otouto was close; there would be no avoiding this confrontation. He would want his daughter back…. But who said that Sesshoumaru would listen to the hanyou?

* * *

InuYasha hadn't gotten much sleep the nights before, but it didn't seem to bother it only meant that he was closer to finding his daughter. He was so far out of his territory; demons kept attacking him, unknowing of the fate they were condemned to until they got in his way.

They would jump in his way, yelling out insults at him as he ran, attempting to get a meal out of him. "Hanyou!" "Mutt!" "Weakling!" Names to the effect, though he would have his fun with them, slashing each one in two as he continued on. "I don't have time for this crap!" The sound echoed as he jumped from the canopies, looking ahead at the large clearing where Sesshoumaru stood, Hanaharu only feet away from him. He growled, if Hanaharu was injured just the slightest bit, InuYasha would blame it on his elder brother.

Sesshoumaru only stared over the trees at his younger brother, causing Hanaharu to look up at what he saw. 'O-Otou-san?' She stared for a moment, tightening her grip on the items in her hands. "I don't want to go back." She ran behind the demon lord, leaving Aun to Jaken as she let go of the beast's reigns.

What was she doing? Hanaharu actually wanted to go with him? What was that about? The hanyou landed on the other side of the field; hand on the sheath of the Tetsusaiga as he glared at Sesshoumaru. He didn't care if Hanaharu chose to run behind him. InuYasha was taking his daughter home.

* * *

Author's Note: Bwahahahahaha! If Takahashi can leave cliffhangers, so can I! Muahahaha! -cough-

Inu: (sweatdrop) 'She's nuts.'


	10. Home Coming

Author's Note: New chapter... longest delay EBER… I got lazy… so slap me… please. … InuYasha and Sesshoumaru… too bad it's not fan service…maybe later…if I ever feel like it. Heh… on with the story.

* * *

The hanyou growled, tawny-golden eyes flashing as he watched his daughter hide behind Sesshoumaru. It was sickening. She didn't know anything about him being her uncle, yet she was hiding from her own father behind him. "Sesshoumaru! Give me back my daughter or I'll kill you!" There was a flame burning in his eyes, the longing to kill his elder brother for even thinking he could separate InuYasha from his daughter. 

But then again, Sesshoumaru had obviously taken care of her the night before. He knew when Hanaharu changed, and the daiyoukai could use that as an advantage.

Hanaharu looked up towards her father from behind Sesshoumaru's leg, a look of awe across her face as she just stared. 'Otou-san… knows Sesshoumaru-sama? How…?' She clung to his back; not knowing who would win this battle… her father would fight to the death if she didn't go with him… but she didn't want to. "I told you…" she took a step away from the lord off to the side, head lowered so that her eyes couldn't be seen, "…not to call me that." She looked up at InuYasha, a look of anger as she stood near the lord.

The hanyou had never seen his daughter so angry at him, it still hurt, but he couldn't let her just run off after her uncle and fallow him in the wilds of the Sengoku Jidai… her mother was worried sick and InuYasha hadn't been home in three days, an hunger was starting to set in. He was in no condition to fight Sesshoumaru. Besides fighting off demons that occasionally came into his territory and monthly spars with Sango, when she wasn't expecting a child or taking care of a newborn, that was all the fighting he ever had to do since Hanaharu was born.

"Gomen ne, Hanaharu." He snorted, still glaring towards Sesshoumaru, "But you've got to come home." He took his hand away from his sword, taking a step forward as Hanaharu took a step back.

"InuYasha, your daughter is more youkai than you'll ever be, and you know that; even if she is mostly human." Sesshoumaru's face stayed cold, but there was a bit of a smirk. "I will leave her to your for now, but expect me to drop by sometime in the future, otouto." The youkai lord turned around, long, ivory hair flowing in the light with that was always in his presence, fallowed by the toad like imp that was also always there.

Hanaharu dropped to the floor, mouth agape as she stared at the earth wide eyed. 'Sesshoumaru-sama is… my uncle?' This was shocking to her. The daiyoukai that she had admired so fondly was actually her family… her father's brother, even.

InuYasha let go of the Tetsusaiga, keeping it in his obi as he rushed over to Hanaharu's side, pulling her into an embrace. "Never do that again," he closed his eyes, just glad that she was alive.

The girl looked up at her father, this was the closest to tears that he had ever been, at least in her presence. It wasn't long before they were flowing along her cheek, swiftly hugging him back. "Otou-san," she sobbed into his kimono, clutching him as if she were that six-year-old child again. "I'm so sorry."

The hanyou looked up, Sesshoumaru was long gone, and Kagome was probably pulling her hair out from anxiety attacks. He stood up, pulling his daughter up with him. "Hanaharu, I should have known better. You're stronger than I give you credit for."

This girl smiled. It looked as though she might get off easy this time… that her father was going to forget the whole thing.

"But you're grounded for two months." He pulled the girl up onto his back, he was going to carry her home, no chance he was going to let her fall into another river.

"WHAT!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, glaring at him over his shoulder. "You can't do that! That's way too long!" Two moths and that would be the end of spring, and all of the sakura blossoms would have fallen by then. Of all the flowers, they smelled the best. Even if InuYasha protested against the smell, she knew he liked it.

"You forget," he turned back towards the west, "I can do what I want." His expressions showed that he was tired, and it would probably take about two three days to get home, something he was looking forward to. Bed.

Hanaharu closed her eyes, leaning her head up against his back. "Not when Okaa-san is around."

He could feel Hanaharu's breathing get deeper and slower until she fell asleep all together. This was stressing on both of them, and InuYasha felt like he could fall asleep at any time soon. His ear twitched as he looked up from the ground, hearing the roar of some sort of feline. No doubt in his mind, Kagome had come after him on Kirara.

"InuYasha!" The former miko sat alone on the two-tailed's back, clutching the mane of her neck. With another roar from Kirara as she landed, Kagome jumped off, running the five steps to her husband. She clutched his chest, seeming to cry into his kimono.

"Kagome… she's fine. Just sleeping." He brought his head down to rest on hers, feeling her grip tighten.

"I wasn't worried for her safety," the woman whispered. "Hanaharu can take care of herself." She looked up to InuYasha, whipping away the tears in her eyes. "I was worried because you didn't tell me anything, let alone take me with you." Even though the tears were gone she still seemed like she was crying. "You never tell me anything, idiot!"

The hanyou swallowed hard, just looking down as she lectured him.

"You're always running off or doing things without telling me! You're reckless now and you always have been! I can't stand it anymore." Her voice got quieter, watching InuYasha taking the crap that she had dealt him.

"You're right." He looked away, knowing that he was too over protective of Hanaharu… but he couldn't help it. Parental instincts of the youkai side of him… they were strong, sometimes a bit too strong for Kagome and Hanaharu to put up with, even if he was male.

"Let's get her home, okay?" Kagome looked back towards Kirara, who was sitting quietly through the entire thing before standing up and coming over to them. She got onto the beast and looked over, InuYasha had moved the sleeping girl into his hands, getting up on Kirara in front of Kagome and letting Hanaharu rest up against him.

The large cat took off into the air, flames shooting out from her feet as she headed back towards the village. Looking back at the family she didn't know exactly what happened, but Kagome was worried, and it they were this far out, she could figure what could have happened from what she heard Kagome talking to Sango about.

* * *

The former miko walked in through the door, seeing about five young kids playing on the floor with toys from her own time, that she had brought to help the young mother over run with children, one of them was even drawing with crayons. "Sango, I need a favor." 

The taijya looked up, smiling as she held her and the houshi's youngest child, about a year old. "Kagome, what do youneed?" She was willing to help her friend in any way, possible, but having so many kids to take after meant she couldn't leave home very often.

She sat down on the ground near Sango, letting one of the young children climb up into her lap as she sat there. "I need to borrow Kirara." She paused, looking at the floor. "Hanaharu ran away, as you know, and even though InuYasha said not to go after him, it's been two days... I'm so worried." She started crying, burying her head in her hands.

Sango had never had one of her children run away, so how could she know what Kagome felt? She placed the one year old on the ground, coming over to sit next to Kagome, comforting her. "You can borrow Kirara, you don't need to ask me for that. She'd be happy to take you anywhere you need to go." She then looked over to her eldest daughter sitting in the corner. "Ichou, watch after them for a moment, I'm going to be outside."

She was about thirteen, but still living with her family. She could have been married off at this age, but she, herself wanted to stay home and help with her brothers and sisters. The girl looked a lot like her mother, but with the hair and eye color of her father. Ichou nodded, "Hai, mama."

With that, Sango lead her friend outside, there were more of her family outside, including her eldest, Kuma, and three others. Kuma was now thirteen, and looked more like his father than ever, most would say he was like a clone since his hair had grown much darker. He wore dark blue hakama, and lighter-shaded blue kimono top, but he ran around barefoot, those shoes that his father wore were annoying to him.

Two of the other children were twins, and they looked exactly alike in every way. The young boys were extremely different in personality, though. They had short brown hair and eyes, wearing the same clothing, something that looked close to a nightshirt. One of them was trying to hold up a wooden sword while the other was clinging to thesmallerform of the two-tailed cat; they were about three years old.

There was another child, a young girl about six, who was also holding a wooden sword, as if trying to teach her brother how to hold it properly.

"Natsu, come here for a moment." Sango watched as the young child holding Kirara came running over, holding the cat as if it were a rag doll in one arm. When the boy got to her she took him up in one arm, the cat jumping from him onto her shoulder, seeming relieved that she was away from the kid. "Arigatou." He gave the boy a kiss on the cheek, which he immediately wrapped his arms around his mother's neck.

Sango had so much experience in parenting; then again, she had ten kids, who wouldn't? Kagome was a bit jealous of that, how well she knew all of her kids. It had to be some kind of gift from the Kami. She looked at the ground, at least until Kirara jumped from Sango to her shoulder, rubbing up against her face purring. "It's good to see you, too." She pet the cat and smiled the best she could consider how worried she was, and Kirara knew she was upset, and why.

"Kirara," the taijya looked over at the cat, her young son already going off to go back to playing. "Do you think you could take Kagome to go find InuYasha and Hanaharu?"

As soon as Kirara meowed a yes, Kuma spoke up, having over heard their conversation, he wanted to go, Hanaharu was like a best friend, and he, too was worried about her. "Take me with you, I think I can help."

"You know Kirara won't be able to carry all of you, Kuma, she's going to have to carry InuYasha, Kagome and Hanaharu on her back with little rest, don't burden her. And besides, we need you here." Sango spoke up, placing a hand on her son's shoulder, only to have him turn away.

"I guess you're right. But I still want to see her when she gets back." He walked away, back to where he was watching over his brothers and sister.

"I feel sorry in telling him no, but this isn't his problem." The taijya looked to Kagome, who nodded

The cat jumped from Kagome, and in a burst of flames transformed into the larger form. "Arigatou, Sango." Kagome bowed, jumping on the two-tailed's back. She was in a hurry, and wanted to get there as fast as possible.

* * *

Now they were flying back with InuYasha and Hanaharu; both of them fallen asleep. Kagome was in back, her husband sleeping up against her and Hanaharu against him. Kagome was just glad that they weren't hurt, she didn't know what happened, but even on Kirara it took about a day to find them. "Arigatou, Kirara. I'm sorry I had to drag you out here." With one arm petting the cat and the other supporting the hanyou, she smiled. "I promise, the next time I go back through the well, I'll bring back something for you." 

The cat purred, only continuing back towards the InuYasha forest. They'd gone so far, and hopefully nothing had attacked the forest in his absence. Even if so, Sango and Miroku could handle it, they had before, even if they were a bit out of practice. Nothing strong ever attacked InuYasha's territory after Naraku's death.

* * *

After a while, Hanaharu's eyes fluttered open, looking up at the sky. Already she knew she was leaning up against her father, and he was asleep, but the draft of wind told her she was in the air. "Kirara? Okaa-san?" She looked up to see her mother sitting behind her sleeping father. Now she felt even worse, the smell of Kagome's salty tears were there, and she hated to see her mother cry. "Gomen ne," she closed her eyes again, thinking about how sad and worried her mother must have been. 

"Don't do it again, Hanaharu. You could have been killed." She looked up towards the sky, watching the clouds above them flow by.

She closed her eyes, turning away. "That's the reason I ran away. You don't think I can take care of myself. You and Otou-san treat me like a baby. I have claws for a reason."

"You go back to resting. Talk to me about it later." She ran her fingers through her daughter's hair, only trying to comfort the young fourth-demon girl.

Hanaharu fell back asleep in a few moments, still leaning up against InuYasha. Despite the cold breeze blowing about a million different scents at her, like her father, she could sleep through it.

* * *

A couple hours later, Hanaharu awoke in her own room, glancing up at the ceiling. They'd brought her back home, and she wasn't tired anymore, but still a bit stressed. She had an uncle and never knew about him… why had her father kept it secret from her? Well, obvious there had been a few sparks between the two, but she wanted things explained to her. 

She sat up on the futon, standing up and walking over to the door as quietly as she could. No one was in the living room, but she could hear her parents talking in their bedroom. She walked out into the living room, and then out the front doorway. She wasn't running away again, she just wanted to go think. And there was only one place she could do that.

She started towards the forest again, knowing that if she ran off again, that her father would be even madder. It wasn't long before she reached the small clearing where she sat picking and smelling the flowers. She stood in silence, looking down at the river as she fell backwards to the earth.

She wasn't sick or anything, just tired. She looked up at the trees, closing her eyes as the scent of the flowers calmed her.

"You shouldn't be out here."

She opened her eyes and looked behind her, though, everything was upside down. "Kurra!" She smiled, shooting up and turning back towards him.

"Stop calling me that. You called me that when you were like two." The human boy come to sit down next to her, crossing his arms over his crossed legs.

"So what?" She beamed, holding a small white flower in her hand as she smelled it. "I can call you what I want to. Not like it hurts you or anything."

He tried to change the subject, looking down at the water. "What happened while you were gone? I swear, your mom was crying the whole time. Spent most of her time over with my mom."

Hanaharu looked at the flower, then up at him. "She was crying? What about Otou-san?"

"Well," the boy started, looking down to her, "I really don't know what he did. As soon as he found out you were gone he dragged my dad out looking for you."

She glared at the ground, her father was the reason that she ran away. "He should have just told me the truth." She pulled her knees up to her chest. "I found out I have an uncle, and spent over a day with him not knowing it until Otou-san showed up. I should have stayed with Sesshoumaru-sama… at least he hadn't lied to me."

"You couldn't have stayed with him." He looked down to Hanaharu, smiling. "We'd all miss you too much here."

Se knew what he meant to say 'I'd miss you too much,' and it made her happy to know he cared, even if only a bit. She fell back on folded arms as she stared at the sky above the trees, it was so peaceful here, her favorite spot ever, just like her father's was that old tree he would sit in sometimes to think. This is where she could think without being bothered much… except by her father and Kuma.

It was nice to have a friend like that, especially one she'd had her whole life. Ever since before she could walk straight they saw each other often, even if she didn't remember it. Hanaharu fell asleep lying there in the flowers that she loved so much, being watched over by her best friend. Unfortunately for him, he would be the one to have to carry her home.

* * *

Author's note: … I loff Kuma as much as I loff Souta.. which is a lot. XD Give me ideas and suggestions on him, I might use them later, though I have him in the big plot. Won't tell you what it is yet, though. I promise... THERE WILL BE MORE SESSHOUMARU! 'Cause he's pretty. XD 


	11. Avoiding Home

Author's Note: Thanks for all of the reviews! Chapter ten got the most out of any chapter I posted. I'm so happy! -does happy dance- 'Stupid wench. What the hell are you doing?' None of your business.

ANYWAY… Sydney, I've already thought about one of your suggestions, so, I have it handled… but the other one… I don't plan on going that far, at least in this story… maybe, if you're all lucky, I might do a sequel.

I'm soooooo sorry about the delay, it's not my fault. Lately, I had been saving stuff on a floppy disk. Thing is, our computer broke and my dad bought a new one... without a floppy drive. He can be such a dumbass. "You don't need a floppy drive" my ass. AND he threw away the packaging so I don't know the friggen code thing to get Word to start working. Keru, I loff you.

* * *

"I don't like it." The hanyou snorted, crossed arms as he sat on the floor in the front room, Kagome, on the other side of the table sipping tea.

"InuYasha, they're friends, and they've known each other since they were born. Don't worry… and besides… why were you spying on Hanaharu?" She smirked, placing the tea down on the table. She'd got her husband there, listening to him swallow hard.

"I wasn't spying!" He looked away, glaring into space.

"Sure, InuYasha. Besides, you would know if anything was happening between them, right?" The former miko stood up and walked around the table to his side, sitting down next to him on the floor on her knees.

He stared at the ground, looking away. "I guess you're right." He wrapped his arms around his mate, laying his head against her shoulder as they both sat there. "But you know I can't help it."

Kagome ran her fingers through the hanyou's hair, moving the bangs out of his face for only a second before they seemed to pop back into place. It seemed she could never do anything to change his hair, even a little. She remembered one time when she actually put some sort of sleeping pill in his tea and brought scissors to his hair… just to get rid of the split ends. All of the hair grew back in less than five minutes. Of course, the only thing InuYasha was mad about was her making him sleep. Even though nothing really attacked anymore, he acted as though something would come after them randomly and threaten his territory. It hadn't happened for quite a while.

"You won't have to worry about it, InuYasha. I'm going to take Hanaharu to visit my mother for a few days, and I don't want you to even think about coming to that side of the well." This got his attention, making him sit up and glare.

"Then how the hell am I supposed to protect her?"

"You don't. She won't even leave the shrine, so it's not like anyone can see her if we don't want them to." This time she leant up against him, her head on his chest as she stared off into space. "Besides, I need you to stay here and watch over things."

His expressions didn't change much, but he understood… though… he did want to go with. "Let me at least make sure you make it over there."

"InuYasha, I've gone back and fourth a million times. It's the same every time we pass through and you know it. I'll be fine on my own." She closed her eyes, at least until she felt the hanyou nip at her neck. "Don't make me punish you, InuYasha." She smiled, feeling her being tugged away by him towards their bedroom. "Too late, now I have to." With that, the former miko and hanyou disappeared into the darkness. Hopefully, this time not to be disturbed.

* * *

"You're such a klutz, Hanaharu." The young ningen boy had the girl on his back, she was awake, with her arms around his neck and she seemed to be blushing.

"I swear some one put that rock there as soon as I looked up. It wasn't there a minute ago." She looked away for a moment; the village wasn't too far ahead, and his home was even closer. "Say, Kurra, why don't we go to your house for a while?" She said it quickly, but as if she was a bit nervous.

"Why? Are you just avoiding going back home?" He looked up back over his shoulder and let out a sigh. "You're going to have to face your dad sooner or later."

"Well, yeah… I'm avoiding them, but not for the reason you think." She looked off to the side for a moment, trying to think of a way to put it. "Let's just say that if you don't want to be mentally scarred for the rest of your life, we should go to your house."

The boy practically choked on his own spit, almost dropping the inu-youkai hybrid from his back. "You're not serious!" It took them both a moment to calm down before continuing on towards his own house. Maybe sometimes it wasn't the best thing to have advanced hearing and such.

It was already kind of dark, but not late. Hanaharu wanted to rest some more, but it seemed since they were going over to Kuma's home, they'd have to deal with eight annoying little kids as the two parents and eldest children attempted to get them to sleep. "How much you want to bet that they haven't gotten even one of them to sleep?"

"I'm not betting on that, we both know that it takes all four of us to even try and get them down." He laughed, trying to imagine what pandemonium was going on in that house. It was a bit larger than the other houses in the village, but only because they had so many children. He didn't mind, though. Every day in that house was an adventure, though he vowed never to have any more than two kids of his own. Ten was crazy… even if his father had originally asked his mother for twenty.

"I know, but hey, if I can get something out of it, I'd try, ya know." She looked off to the side, her ankle was sprained and she wouldn't be walking home on her own. Of course, it wouldn't even be two days until she was back on her feet again.

He knew how Hanaharu's mind worked, and he agreed, bringing her up towards the front door to the house. Inside there was a bunch of kids running around, laughing and basically giving their parents a hard time.

"Kuma, why weren't-" The woman turned around from rallying up one or two of them, smiling when she saw Hanaharu…. She must've hurt herself if Kuma was carrying her on his back. "You come to help us, Hanaharu?"

The fourth-dog smiled and nodded, it was always easier for them to get all of the kids down when she was around for some reason… well, maybe it was the fact that about three of them used her tail as a pillow, and she really didn't mind as long as they didn't drool on it or something. "I guess so, not like I can go home right now." She blushed. "Otou-san and Okaa-san are busy."

This only made the monk smirk, holding the rowdy twin and another girl in his arms, both of them struggling; only thinking to himself. 'InuYasha, you dirty dog.'

Immediately after Kuma put her on the ground, the six-year-old daughter ran up and hugged her. "Hanaharu, how long are you staying this time?" She beamed; the inu-girl was an idol to some of Sango and Miroku's kids just because of her tail and ears.

"I guess until Otou-san comes to get me," she smiled the best she could. Even though it was HER father, Kagome would always be HIS wife, and as much as she loved both of her parents, she was always a bit jealous of her mother, if only because she would spend the rest of her life with InuYasha. Either way, Hanaharu knew her mother was mortal, and she would die long before Hanaharu reached the age where she would appear to be twenty. That thought made her sad, but at least she knew that her father would live a long time, he was only two hundred and five she was born, and that was really young for a demon's standards. But she was happy for her parents, they'd found true love, all she could wish for was the same.

Already two of the kids had fallen asleep against her tail as she just sat there blinking. This happened whenever she was over around bed time. Once they were asleep to the point where they wouldn't wake up if they were moved, Sango and Miroku had to pry them off and put them in bed.

* * *

After another half hour of the four running around and Hanaharu sitting quietly in the corner with three of the eight kids sleeping against her in some way, it was finally quiet in the house of the youkai taijya and the houshi.

"Domo Arigatou, Hanaharu. You've made today a bit easier for us." Sango smiled weakly. Every night was a fight to get the children asleep, and some nights the couple got barely any sleep at all. The taijya had sworn if she were going to have another kid, she'd murder Miroku.

"Don't thank me." She handed off one of the smaller children in her arms to the houshi. "All I did was sit here."

A moment later there was a rap on the doorframe, the crimson-clad hanyou walking in. He didn't need permission to walk into the house if there were people in the front room, unless he and Kagome were notified beforehand. "Yo." He waved slightly, looking down towards Hanaharu for a moment. "Why didn't you come home?"

She looked away for a moment, grabbing carefully at her lower leg near her ankle. "Well, I tripped…and you and Okaa-san were busy."

His eyes widened as he looked back towards the monk. "What hentai thoughts have you been putting through my daughter's head!"

With that said, Miroku's eyes widened themselves. "I didn't say anything!" And then he ran out the door being chased by the hanyou.

"What the hell were you telling her you perverted monk! She's too young to know about anything like that!"

"I told you! I didn't say anything!"

"Bull shit! She WAS innocent until you opened your big mouth!"

The youkai taijya stormed outside, Kuma supporting Hanaharu over his shoulder. She was mad, a bit more screaming and they'd wake up one of the children, which would lead to all of them walking up again.

The houshi came back around, hiding behind Sango as if she were going to protect him. InuYasha, when mad, was scary. And since he didn't have any way to protect himself at the moment… the best thing was an angry woman.

BIG MISTAKE.

A moment later, both men were sitting cross-legged in front of the hut with numerous large lumps on their heads, Sango cracking her knuckles as she stood in front of them scowling.

"Your mom's scary." Hanaharu whispered as she stood against the side of the hut standing next to Kuma.

"Not as scary as your mom gets." The both laughed quietly, trying not to attract attention to them; even if they knew that InuYasha could hear them.

"InuYasha, why don't you take Hanaharu home now? All of this noise is sure to wake one of them up and that'll mean they all have to get up. You remember what happened last time, ne?" The woman let out a sigh, watching as the hanyou stood up and looked over at Hanaharu.

"Don't remind me." He reached up and grabbed his ear just reminding him of the pain he went through from that time.

It had happened the last time they woke the kids up when InuYasha was there, eight screaming kids tackling and grabbing at his ears, pulling as hard as they possibly could while everyone else attempted to pull them off… which actually didn't help.

The girl looked over, staying supported against the hut as her father walked over. Like many times before, climbed up onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck as they both looked back, him supporting her so that she wouldn't fall off. "Arigatou, jamatane, Kurra."

The boy mumbled under his breath before waving good-bye. He still considered her childish for calling him that… then again, she was ten…

Hanaharu decided to drop what had gone on earlier, knowing that her father was ticked off enough to know that she understood what sex was... she was ten, for crying out loud. She lay her head down on the back of his neck, closing her eyes. "Otou-san? What was Okaa-san making for dinner tonight?"

"I dunno." Walking between the houses of the village, they couldn't see the sun at times, but he knew that it was pretty close to setting. "Hanaharu.. were you with Sesshoumaru when you changed?" His expressions showed that this was serious, of course it was. He didn't know, but most likely.

"Hai." She tightened her grip, knowing that InuYasha would be mad. It was obvious that Sesshoumaru had plans for Hanaharu in the future. Her mind skipped back to what Sesshoumaru had said, the vision of him imprinted in her mind as it had happened:

* * *

"InuYasha, your daughter is more youkai than you'll ever be, and you know that; even if she is mostly human." Sesshoumaru's face stayed cold, but there was a bit of a smirk. "I will leave her to your for now, but expect me to drop by sometime in the future, otouto." The youkai lord turned around, long, ivory hair flowing in the light with that was always in his presence, fallowed by the toad like imp that was also always there.

* * *

**  
**

Well, Sesshoumaru knew what night she changed now, it was inevitable to take that back. This would be bothering her for a while. What had Sesshoumaru meant when he said that? The hanyou didn't want to scare his daughter, so he wouldn't say anything more, finally reaching the hut that they had made their home.

Hanaharu let out a sigh as she watched her mother in the doorway, she had obviously been a bit worried, but at least this time the fourth-demon girl had come back home. "Okaa-san, did you make dinner tonight? Or are we having ramen again?" She personally didn't care what they ate, as long as she had food. She was tired, but InuYasha was exhausted. He probably was going to go to sleep as soon as he was inside.

"Ramen tonight, Hanaharu." She showed a weak smile, watching as InuYasha let the girl onto the ground.

"I get dibs!" Hanaharu scrambled over her father's shoulder, pushing him to his face on the ground as if trying to stop him... or just by accident.

With his face shoved into the ground, the hanyou mumbled, gripping the grass beneath his claws as he pushed himself off the ground, cursing under his breath. He wasn't used to this sort of treatment, then again, he hadn't been shoved face-first into the ground for a long time. He sat up, dusting the dirt off the red fire rat kimono as he sort of growled to himself under his breath.

Kagome only let out a sigh, standing only feet from the whole spectacle. "You know, InuYasha," she began, "We only have one more cup of ramen left before I have to go shopping again."

The hanyou looked at her with wide eyes, jumping up as he let out a loud growl and ran in, almost throwing the tarp off the door frame as he made his way inside. Too late. Hanaharu was sitting at the low table slurping the instant noodles up, using her chopsticks. He crossed his arms, sitting on the pad next to her as he glared, seeing the smirk on her face. He mumbled, looking towards the ground. Kagome only went shopping in her time maybe once a month, and they were already out of ramen. He figured she had already known, the reason why she ran off like that and shoved him face into the ground. "Fine," he snorted, leaning against the wall, "but we're all going back tomorrow."

The woman came in as she had been standing outside, looking to her husband, who was still glaring at her daughter. "You mean I am. There's no chance the manager will let you back in that store, and even if you do stay at the shrine, Mama and Souta have been busy lately. They don't need you two to entertain."

"Just because he's training to become the next priest..." The hanyou looked away, knowing that he would have to find something else among the ninja foods until tomorrow... unless Kagome decided to cook just for him.

"Who else could do it? If it weren't someone in my family, the tradition would be broken and I wouldn't be allowed to go back for food. InuYasha, you need to consider everything before opening your mouth. He's doing this for us." She was pretty sure that a shrine priest wasn't the thing that Souta had really thought of becoming when he grew up, but he loved his sister and her family, and he wanted to keep seeing her, besides, his mother couldn't take care of the shrine alone. Their grandfather had died of old age over a year ago, and now someone had to take over.

The hanyou let out a sigh, arms crossed as he looked towards the floor. "Fine, but-"

"InuYasha, I know what you like. Don't worry." She sat down on the ground next to him, smiling as she tugged at his ear, getting a low growl coming from him and then letting go.

Hanaharu laughed as she placed the bowl on the table, causing InuYasha to reach over and pull on hers. "Think it's funny, huh?" he growled playfully, pulling her to the ground as she tried pulling him off.

"Otou-san! Let go!" She giggled, pulling at his strong hand to get him to let go. Great, he wasn't going to. She had to go to her last resort.

"Itai! She bit me, damnit!" He tried pulling his arm away, but she kept a firm hold, gnawing on his wrist. He then reached for her ear again, this time not pulling on it, but rubbing it at the base.

"Dang it." Her eyes grew heavy as she let go, falling asleep in his lap a moment later. As good as it felt, both she and InuYasha hated getting their ears rubbed. It made them fall to sleep because it was so soothing.

"She needs her rest," Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck, looking down at their daughter, but brought her hand up to his ear again, doing the exact same thing he had done to Hanaharu.

He leant back up against her, still holding Hanaharu in his lap. "Damn you. Why did I ever tell you about the ear thing?" He closed his eyes, waiting for an answer from her.

"Because," she started, "this was one of the ways you got Hanaharu to fall asleep when she was a baby, if you hadn't told me she'd have been crying half the night." Then again, when she really thought about it, InuYasha was already up in the middle of the night taking care of the baby before she even cried. He was like that, he could feel what others around him felt, and even if he pretended not to, he did. Besides, whenever he could take care of it, he didn't even wake Kagome up, and that meant more sleep for her. It wasn't long until she had the hanyou snoring lightly in her lap, leaning up against her as their daughter was against him.

She let out a sigh, knowing that she was stuck here until InuYasha woke up, which wouldn't be more than an hour. He never stayed asleep long when he was put to bed like that. Oh well, she was going to have to deal with it. Fine by her, now if only she could get to her camera.

* * *

Author's Note: Good chapter? Bad Chapter? I really don't know... AND YES! I KILLED OFF JII-CHAN! 0.0! I really find him annoying... Don't want to write as him again. X.x Review! My god people, I know more than 6 or 7 people read this thing. X.x 


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